It's a Bittersweet Life
by Kyepie05
Summary: "11:09 and still no word. Two-Bit couldn't decide if that was good or bad." When tragedy hits, Two-Bit learns that it only takes three hours for the world to be flipped upside down. Suddenly he has to try to patch up his rough relationship with his little sister, Lucy, on his own when he doesn't even know what made it rough in the first place.
1. Chapter 1

This idea hit me while I was writing a one-shot for my story Stand by Me and I thought it'd be fun to give this a whirl. I hope you guys like it and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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**Chapter One**

**Before the Worst**

**April, 1968**

"How are the bills?"

"How are they ever?"

Two-Bit sat down at the table across from Darry, watching him. "How are things with Ponyboy?"

"Good." Darry looked at him and nodded. "Very good actually. We fight a whole lot less. We don't always see eye to eye but we just discuss it now instead of hollering."

"Good. Finally you two have it together." Two-Bit grinned cheekily.

Darry rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Yeah, yeah. Hey, how about you? How are things with Lucy?"

"Don't turn this around on me!"

"Maybe next time you won't mock me and my family problems." Darry grinned at him as Two-Bit gave him a friendly glare. "Come out. Out with it. How are things with your sister?"

"Not good," Two-Bit finally replied, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, so am I."

Two-Bit's younger sister Lucy was fifteen-years-old and a real pain in the neck. All through their lives, they had been close. However, suddenly, that all changed. Last July, Lucy's best friend Tammy moved away. Two-Bit had tried to be there for her, thinking that she would need a friend. But, unfortunately, she didn't want Two-Bit around.

She started hanging around a different crowd. Two-Bit had never met them (she said he embarrassed her too much) but he didn't like the influence they had on her. She was unpleasant to be around over the past year.

Well, she was unpleasant towards Two-Bit anyway. She was all right with their mom. But Two-Bit didn't take it too personally. Their mom was near impossible to be angry at. He knew many people felt that way about him but he felt like it was much more prominent in his mother, especially when comparing their relationships with Lucy.

Oh, there were occasional times where things felt normal with Lucy, like earlier in the year when they had lost Dally and Johnny, but the moments didn't last long. He simply didn't understand it.

"It all started after Tammy left right?" Darry asked.

"Yeah."

"Maybe there's a boy involved or something."

Two-Bit's eyebrows raised instantly. "Oh, there better not be."

"That," Darry said, pointing at him, "is exactly why she wouldn't tell you."

Two-Bit scowled. "I'd be pleasant enough."

Darry cocked an eyebrow, a trick he'd picked up from Two-Bit himself. "Really? You're telling me that if Lucy brought home a hood you wouldn't threaten him with everything under the sun?"

Two-Bit shifted in his seat then sighed. "Yeah, alright. I see your point."

"Yeah, because it's a good one."

"But she'd tell mom right?"

Darry shrugged. "Maybe not."

Two-Bit sighed. "Boy, I never thought I'd be trying to get Lucy to talk to me. When we were kids, she'd never shut up."

"Sounds like someone else I know," said Steve's voice as the door slammed open then shut again. Two-Bit looked up as Soda and Steve walked in. Soda tossed his jacket at the couch, missed, then kicked off his shoes.

"Mail?" he asked, looking at Darry.

"Nothing for you, little buddy," Darry replied.

"Okay." Soda sprawled over the couch. "Where's Pony?"

"Doing homework," Darry answered.

Steve headed down the hall to the bathroom, calling over his shoulder. "Problems with Lucy?"

"Same old, same old," Two-Bit replied.

"Have you asked your mom about it?" Darry asked.

Two-Bit nodded. "She has no idea. Every time she tries to ask her, Lucy just says we don't have anything to talk about."

"Man, that's rough," Soda commented from the couch. Steve came back and looked at Soda. "Scoot over."

"No. Make me."

Steve rolled Soda off the couch then sat on the end nearest the door. Soda glared up at him but stayed where he was.

"How's she doing in school?" Darry asked.

"Fine." Two-Bit shrugged. "I see her grades a lot. Mom shows me."

"Do you think she's hiding something from him?" Soda asked Darry, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"It's possible," Darry said. "I already asked if Two-Bit thought there was a boy involved."

"Maybe she's getting into trouble," Steve suggested.

"Nah," Two-Bit said with a shake of the head. "I'd know about that. I mean, she's usually home on time and all. She never seems drunk or anything." He heaved a sigh. "Maybe she just really doesn't think we have anything to talk about."

A heavy silence fell in the room. Two-Bit forced a grin. "Anyway, I'm going to head home. Told Mom I'd make dinner tonight. She's working late."

"Good luck, man," Darry told him.

"Yeah, thanks man. Later ya'll." He walked out of the house and got in his car. It started without a problem for once and he was home within five minutes.

When he got home, Lucy was already there and their mom was already gone. He glanced at his sister, who was curled up on the couch with a book, and headed into the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry," she said immediately.

"Why? Because I'm cooking?"

"No. But that doesn't hurt. I don't know what you'll cook."

"Food," Two-Bit replied tersely. "Regular food. I was thinking mac and cheese. You okay with that, smart ass?"

She shrugged. "I told you. I'm not hungry."

Two-Bit slowly let out a breath and muttered, "You're not hungry. Okay then." Louder, he said, "Well, I'm cooking. You can have some later if you want." He started it up. "How was school?" He poked his head out of the kitchen.

She looked at him as if he had grown a new head. "Fine."

"You get that history paper back yet?"

"Yeah."

"Well, can I see it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

She merely shrugged. Two-Bit rolled his eyes and went back in the kitchen. It would be a miracle if they both made it through this dinner. "Hey," he called after a while as he poured some into a bowl. "Remember when you were about six years old and I took you to the park that one time? Mom was at work and Dad was taking a nap and we weren't supposed to leave the house. Boy, we got in so much trouble. Mrs. Curtis was there with the boys and lectured me for about ten minutes."

He poked his head out and saw Lucy cracking a grin as she said, "Yeah, I remember."

"Golly, I remember when we got home and Mrs. Curtis told Dad…" Two-Bit trailed off as he remembered. "Well, Dad didn't really care. Just told Mrs. Curtis to stay out of it. We weren't her kids. But Mom… now, Mom was mad." He took up his mom's high voice and said, "Anything could have happened! One of you could have gotten hurt! Don't you ever think?"

Lucy chuckled. "That didn't last long. It never did."

"Damn right. You sure you don't want dinner?"

She heaved a sigh. "Fine. I'll eat." He brought her a bowl and sat down and, unfortunately, the usual attitude was back on. Two-Bit didn't let it dampen his attitude though. He made jokes all through dinner and told long, drawn out stories.

Lucy went to bed about forty-five minutes later, probably because of him. Two-Bit shrugged his shoulders as she vanished down the hall and spread out on the couch.

He was asleep by the time his mom came home. She shook him awake gently. "Two-Bit… Come on, honey. You need to go to bed."

He slowly opened his eyes. "Hey Mom… How was work?"

"Oh, it was fine. How was your night?"

"Mmm, okay…" Two-Bit slowly sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "I almost made her laugh."

"Oh, honey…" His mom reached up and gently brushed his hair back. "You know, I don't know if you remember or not but when she was a baby, you were always trying to get a giggle out of her. And you were the first one to make her laugh. Do you remember that?"

Two-Bit shook his head slowly. "How'd I do it? Maybe it'll come in handy." He scratched the back of his head absentmindedly.

"You put on this little puppet show with her stuffed animals." She smiled and shook her head. "She just thought it was hysterical."

"Wish that would work now," Two-Bit muttered. He yawned. "Mom, do you want some dinner? I put some in the oven for you."

"Thanks, sweetie." She kissed his forehead. "Now, go get some sleep."

"Mmm, sounds like a plan to me…" He yawned and pushed himself to his feet. He swayed unsteadily for a minute before finding his balance.

"Good night, Two-Bit." She smiled after him as he went down the hall. Two-Bit waved over his shoulder as he turned into his room. He collapsed on the bed with a thud and was out like a light. If he had had any idea of what would come the next day, he wouldn't have slept near as well.


	2. Tick, tick, tick

_A/N:_Just a heads up: My computer is giving me some trouble and I have no idea what's going on with it. I don't think it will get in the way of me updating but I thought I'd give you a heads up! It'll be fixed soon! So for those of you reading my story "Stand by Me" I'll be updating it very soon!

**Chapter Tw****o**

**"Tick, tick, tick"**

**April, 1968**

"Two-Bit! Lucy! Come on! Time for school!"

Two-Bit ran out of his room, pulling on his shirt as he did so, and downstairs, nearly tripping over himself. "Morning mom!" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing his keys off the table. "Luce! Come on!"

"I'm coming!" Lucy shouted down sharply.

Two-Bit rolled his eyes and muttered, "Oh, so it'll be one of this days."

"She's 15, Keith," his mother told him gently. "She's 15. That's a hard age."

"I'm almost 16," came the rough reply from the top of the stairs. Two-Bit didn't bother to respond as she came down the stairs. "Are you ready to go?" she asked, wrapping their mom in a quick hug.

"Yeah, let's go." The two of them bounded out of the house and into his car. On the second try, it roared to life and he pulled out of the driveway. He glanced at her. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine. Why's your radio off?"

"It broke. I need Steve and Soda to look at it."

She heaved a sigh and looked out the window. Two-Bit tightened his jaw, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. Two attitudes in the car weren't needed. He heard her ruffling around some of his crap in the car but didn't look at her. She was probably looking for something.

"You've got to clean this out," she sighed. "Seriously, Two-Bit."

He threw her a grin. "Why would I do that? Clean? Never!"

"You're almost 19, Two-Bit. Time to be responsible."

"Look, you don't need to lecture-"

"Did you show mom this?" Lucy held up a paper. "An A? On a paper? I'm impressed. I didn't know it was possible."

Two-Bit rolled his gray eyes. "Shut up."

"You're becoming a senior next year right?"

"I am."

"So what's the plan? Spend two years there and then finally graduate at 21?"

Two-Bit didn't even bother to reply to that one.

"Hmm. What would you do then?" Her brown eyes got to scanning the paper. She bit her lip then sett it down on the floorboard.

"I have absolutely no idea." He pulled up at the school and she hopped out immediately. By the time he got out she was already out of sight. Heaving a sigh, he made his way into school.

The day was long and boring. Usually he enjoyed school quite a bit but for some reason he just couldn't sit still. He felt antsy beyond belief. He was never like this and he didn't like it one bit. He just couldn't stop staring at the clock.

Steve stopped him at lunch with raised eyebrows. "You ain't acting like yourself. There ain't as much horsing around and a lot more clock watching and fidgeting. It's like watching Sodapop sit through school all over again."

Two-Bit heaved a sigh as he walked out of the building. "I know. I don't know what's going on. But I can tell you this: I don't know how Soda stands it. Being antsy and restless all the time sure ain't a piece of cake."

Steve shrugged as they walked to Two-Bit's car. "You feeling uneasy or something, buddy?"

"Yeah. Can't shake a feeling that something's up."

Steve cast him a quizzical glance then looked over at Ponyboy as he joined them. The three of them piled into the car and went to the store for lunch.

Once school was out, he started looking for Lucy to give (or at least offer) her a ride home before he went to the Curtis'. He finally found her already exiting the building. "Hold your horses little lady," he called.

He could almost hear her roll her eyes as she stopped walking. She spun around on her heel, arms crossed. "Yes?"

"You riding with me?'

"No. I'm going to a friend's house. Is that okay with you?" The tone in her voice made him automatically irritated.

"Fine. If Mom gets upset with you it is not my fault." He turned and went towards his car, muttering to himself under his breath. She could be such a brat sometimes. He didn't have to give her a ride. Mom could never stay mad at him so it wasn't like he'd be in a ton of trouble for leaving her. Told off sure, but not really punished. Besides, he was almost nineteen. But he could never make himself leave her.

Most of the time she had a different ride anyway or she walked. He only drove her to or from school when they were running late or she was feeling lazy. On days like today, he wished she walked all the time so he didn't even have to ask.

He muttered all the way to the Curtis' but the instant that he walked in the door, he felt better. The only one there was Ponyboy seeing as everyone else was at work. "Hey, Ponyboy!" he greeted cheerfully.

Ponyboy looked up from his homework. "Hey." He turned back to it. Two-Bit threw himself on the couch, crossing his legs on one arm of it while he rested his head on the other.

"Doing homework?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Oh."

"You could do yours."

"Nah." Two-Bit closed his eyes. "I'm gonna take a nap."

"Enjoy yourself." He could almost hear Ponyboy roll his eyes and that made him grin. There was a difference between Ponyboy rolling his eyes at him and Lucy doing it. Lucy had attitude about it, Ponyboy was just being his buddy.

He got up and started pacing quite a few times instead of sleeping, still feeling restless. Ponyboy groaned after about an hour of it. "What is wrong with you?"

He shrugged. "Can't sit still."

"You're as bad as Soda today," Ponyboy muttered under his breath.

Two-Bit grinned. "Don't tell Soda. If he finds out someone's as antsy as him he'll feel like he has to up his game."

Pony grinned and shook his head. "Shut up…"

Two-Bit plopped on the floor beside him. "Whatcha working on?"

"Math and I'm almost done."

"I'll help."

"Not on your life."

Two-Bit put a hand to his chest in mock-offense. "What? You don't want my help? I'm stunned! Stunned and hurt!"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Pony grinned at him and went back to work. Not five minutes later, he started putting his homework away. "I'm done."

"Who does their homework for the weekend Friday afternoon?" Two-Bit asked.

"Someone who doesn't want to sweat about it."

"I don't sweat about it."

"You also don't do it."

"Fair point." Two-Bit drummed his fingers on his knee. "School's almost out." He shifted on the floor, sill unable to stand sitting still. "You wanna go outside and play catch?"

Pony cocked an eyebrow in a fashion very much like his own, making Two-Bit grin. "You really are restless aren't you?" He got up. "Alright. Let's go." He went to his bedroom then came back, tossing Two-Bit the football. Two-Bit caught it then jogged outside, leaping off the front porch. He knew Ponyboy was hot on his tail and jogged to the edge of the fence before wheeling around and tossing it back towards the younger boy.

Pony reached up and caught it then tossed to the right of Two-Bit, making Two-Bit swear happily and race after it. He managed to catch it before it hit the ground. "Alright, Curtis," he said with a grin. "If that's how you want to play, that's how we'll play."

The two of them tore all over the yard with their game of catch for a couple of hours with no intention of stopping for a while. Pony threw it right towards Two-Bit for a change of pace but right when Two-Bit was about to catch it, sirens ripped through the evening air. The boys looked up, distracted, and the football hit Two-Bit right in the jaw.

Swearing, Two-Bit rubbed it gingerly. Pony looked at him, grimacing. "Sorry."

Two-Bit shook his head, picking up the football. "Nah, man, no problem." He tossed the ball back at Pony and the game was back on.

Ponyboy threw the ball towards the gate and Two-Bit took off to try to catch it. He skidded to a stop, however, when he saw Darry about to walk in. Darry caught the football with ease and raised his eyebrows. "Enjoying yourselves?"

"Yeah." Two-Bit held up his hands and Darry tossed it to him.

"Anyone else home yet?"

"No."

"I'm going to start dinner then. Unless you did?"

"No," Pony told him, looking apologetic at his answer.

Before Darry could answer, Two-Bit tossed him the ball. "We'll do it now, Darry," he said, jogging up the steps. "Don't worry about it."

"Thanks, Two-Bit," Darry said tiredly, moving to the armchair and sitting down.

"No problem," Two-Bit said as he entered the kitchen.

By the time dinner was ready, Steve and Soda were in the house. It was considerably louder than it had been when they were at work but Two-Bit didn't mind. He preferred loud and busy settings. That was part of why he liked being in bars and Buck's.

He was in the process of setting the table when the door slammed open. Two-Bit raised his eyebrows in surprise as Lucy bounded in. "Two-Bit!" She was wide-eyed and he knew right then that something was seriously wrong. He set down the pile of plates in his hands.

"Lucy, what's going on?" he asked evenly.

"It's mom! She was in a crash. She's in critical condition. We have to go!"

With that, Two-Bit bolted to the door.

"We'll be right behind you," Darry told him, on his feet now as well.

Two-Bit nodded his head in thanks then ran out with Lucy. They both hopped in the car and he tried to start it. It failed. He turned the key again. It failed. He tried a few more times to no results. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel, letting out a string of cuss words, and tried again. The engine reluctantly roared to life and he peeled out of the driveway.

"Is she okay? Do you know anything else?" he demanded roughly as he sped down the road.

"No." Lucy's voice was shaking. Her eyes were closed and she was taking deep breaths, calming herself down. Two-Bit reached over and took one of her hands. Both of them had steady hands. They always had. It took a lot to make them shake. But he could feel them both shaking like leaves.

"We're okay," he whispered hoarsely. "It'll be okay." He didn't feel like it would be okay. He was so scared he barely even realized he was speaking. But being a big brother helped a little bit. Not much, but it helped. He felt needed and not completely helpless.

He turned into a parking spot so quickly that Lucy's grip on his hand immediately tightened. He didn't bother apologizing though and she didn't bother with dirty looks or a snarky comment. The moment he released her hand, they were both out of the car and running for the hospital.

They burst inside and rushed to the front desk. "We're looking for our mom," Two-Bit said quickly. "Donna Mathews. She was in an accident."

The receptionist looked up at them then leafed through an appointment book on her desk. Two-Bit glanced at his sister as they waited. He was proud of her. She was holding up well, being the strong girl he knew she was. Finally, the receptionist turned her gaze to them again. "She's in surgery. The doctor will be with you when he's done."

"Can you tell us how serious it is?" Lucy pleaded.

The receptionist shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Two-Bit thanked her then led Lucy to the seats in the lobby. Once they were sitting, he pulled her to him, occasionally planting a kiss on the top of her head and whispering soothing words. She managed to explain after a few minutes what had happened.

Her friend had dropped her off at home and the police had gotten a hold of her to let her know what had happened. Their mom was driving through an intersection when she was hit by someone who sped through the red light. They had been drinking and were now in custody.

It was as if their life had suddenly been clicked to slow motion. He glanced at the clock. 8:47. He sighed softly and settled against the seat. Something told him they had a long wait ahead.

About a half an hour later, the gang came in. Darry and Ponyboy sat down beside Two-Bit while Sodapop and Steve sat down next to Lucy.

Two-Bit got up the minute they got there. He was dying for a weed but he wasn't about to leave Lucy there alone. "I'm going to step outside." He quickly moved out then lit up, closing his eyes as he blew out the smoke. He could feel the shaking slow more and more as he stood there with his cigarette.

"Two-Bit?"

He turned to his right in time to see a tall, gorgeous blond headed his way. He felt his face relax from the tough expression he was wearing just a little bit. "Kathy."

The minute his girl reached him he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He rested his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. "How'd you hear?" he whispered after a few minutes.

"Pony gave me a call," she murmured against his chest. He pulled her closer to him, silently making a mental note to thank that kid.

Not two minutes after making that mental note, Ponyboy came out, rubbing his arms. Two-bit's eyes flitted in his direction, watching as the kid lit up a cigarette. "Darry still threatening to make you quit?"

Pony nodded. "Told him I was coming out here to check on you."

Two-Bit gave him a small smile, knowing full well that that _was_ what Ponyboy was out there to do. He reached over and put his cigarette out then wrapped his arm around his girl again.

"You okay?" Kathy asked him, pulling loose of his hold enough to look him in the face.

"Yeah," he lied easily. "Fine. She'll be okay. My mom's a tough bird." He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

Ponyboy nodded slowly and Two-Bit knew he was remembering when his parents had been killed in an auto wreck. The three of them stood there for about ten more minutes before going back inside. Kathy broke free of Two-Bit's arm around her waist and sat beside Lucy, rubbing her back and then hugging her.

Ponyboy sat down beside Darry again, who leaned towards him, whispering something to him. He was probably asking how Two-Bit was holding up. Steve was leaning forward in his seat with his elbows on his knees, a stony look on his face. Sodapop sat beside Lucy and Kathy, watching them, brown eyes blazing with empathy and concern.

As Two-Bit looked around at the members of their little gang, he realized that he was the only one who still had a living mother. He prayed that that would last. He couldn't lose her. He knew he gave her a hard time and wasn't home as much as he should be but she was his rock. She was the person who would listen to him on the rare occasions that he just had to rant and rave. She was the person who knew what he was thinking even when he said nothing. And she wasn't just that way with him. It was just how she was.

If she didn't make it, how would he and Lucy go on? What would happen to Lucy?

His gaze fell on Darry and as their eyes met, he knew that somehow Darry knew what Two-Bit was thinking. If he had to, he'd do the same thing Darry had done. He'd take guardianship of his sister in a heartbeat. He'd be all she had left.

He just didn't want it to come to that.

The clock on the wall kept ticking even though time still seemed to stand still.

It was 10:23 and Two-Bit had now paced around the room seven times. He landed with a thud back in one of the vacant seats and buried his face in his hands. There was no word yet and he was going insane. He couldn't take this wait. It was torture.

He took a deep breath and tired to tell himself that it was all right, that his mom would be okay, that it wouldn't come to him trying to raise Lucy. He felt a hand on his arm and jumped slightly. He turned to see his little sister sitting beside him, brown eyes filled with worry. She tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear as she force a small, brave smile on her face.

Two-Bit wrapped his arms around her small body, hugging her close. She hugged him back tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

_Tick, tick, tick… _

11:09 and still no word. Two-Bit couldn't decide if that was good or bad. Everyone was getting antsy and restless now.

Two-Bit watched as Soda paced around the room and Lucy played with the hem of her skirt. Steve was shuffling and reshuffling a deck of cards he'd pulled out of his pocket and Darry was fidgeting with his hands as Ponyboy got up to go to the bathroom. Kathy whispered something to Lucy, who nodded, and the two of them went to the ladies' room.

Two-Bit sank down in his chair.

Then, finally, the doctor came. He asked for the family of Donna Mathews and Two-Bit and the remaining gang rose to their feet.

Two-Bit looked at the doctor hopefully, desperately. When the doctor simply shook his head and said, "I'm sorry", Two-Bit felt his legs give. He collapsed back into the chair, jaw dropped, eyes wide.

He could hear the doctor continue to speak to him but it felt as if he was a great distance away. He could see them moving around him but it was like they were a blur. He felt someone touch his shoulder but it didn't feel real. Nothing felt real.

The rest of the night remained in a blur.


	3. Trying to Make Ends Meet

**Chapter Three**

**"Trying to Make Ends Meet"**

**April, 1968**

Two-Bit remembered Pony coming back from the bathroom first. He knew what had happened the moment he saw everyone's faces and sat down beside Two-Bit and Darry, who had gone to Two-Bit the moment the doctor had reported the news. He remembered that then Kathy and Lucy had come back, jogging Two-Bit at least partially to his senses. He got to his feet and shook his head sadly. Lucy had immediately broken down in tears, screaming that there was a mistake, that she wasn't dead, and he had gone to her, although everything still seemed distant. It was as if he was in a stranger's life. This wasn't his.

As the days passed, however, everything became painfully real. By Tuesday, he managed to get himself and Lucy back to school. He wasn't sure how he'd handle a job and school but he'd have to manage until summer. Then he'd seriously think about his options school-wise. Maybe it'd be best to drop out.

They had some money saved, thankfully. That should last them until Two-Bit could find a job. Darry said that he'd help him look, a gesture that Two-Bit appreciated. The entire gang was helping. They pretty much made sure Two-Bit was never alone. Darry in particular was helping him with funeral arrangements, something that he could barely think about by himself. They helped with meals too, which was a great help. Two-Bit barely had the energy to get up every day much less cook two to three meals.

Granted, Lucy was still leaving the house to be with her friends a lot. But now it felt a little less like she was avoiding _him_ and more like she was avoiding the empty house.

"Hey, Two-Bit. Ain't you supposed to be in school?"

Two-Bit looked up at Soda, who was sitting behind the counter at the DX. "It's Friday, right?"

It had been two weeks since Two-Bit's mom died and everything still felt surreal.

He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the counter lazily. They were low on food so he had taken the day off to shop. He'd head off to the store after he talked to his friend. That was what he really needed right now. Someone who got it. He also didn't feel much like facing math. His teacher kept holding him after class and asking if there was anything he could do. Two-Bit didn't want to be talked to in that soft, quiet voice. At school he wanted to try his hardest not to remember what had been happening.

After a few minutes of listening to Elvis Presley's _Hound Dog_ playing on the radio, he spoke. "How'd you get through it?"

He glanced at the counter to see Soda thinking over his answer. Finally, he said, "Well, I had the gang. But it wasn't easy. And I still miss 'em."

Two-Bit nodded slowly. "Man, I dunno if I can do this… Lucy still hardly talks to me."

"Is she still staying out late at night?"

Two-Bit nodded.

"I think you need to wait up for her tonight," Soda said. "Make her talk to you. Try to include her in the funeral plans you and Darry are working on. Ask her opinion on something. It might help."

"I'll give that a shot… How in the world did that pop in your head?"

Soda laughed lightly. "Man, I spent months trying to diffuse fights. Tell me how it works out, alright?"

Two-Bit nodded and looked up at his friend, meeting his gaze. "Does it ever hurt any less?"

Soda nodded slowly. "Yeah… You're still going to miss her. A lot. But things are gonna get easier. You know my advice? Talk to Darry. I lost them just as much as he did but I was the younger sibling in it all. Darry's the one who took guardianship and had to pull us all to our feet. I couldn't have done it if it wasn't for Darry."

Two-Bit nodded. "Yeah, okay. Thanks, Soda."

"No problem, man. Do you need anything?"

"Nah, I'm just gonna go to the store and get food." Two-Bit headed to the door.

"Alright. See you later buddy."

Two-Bit thought about how to talk to Lucy for the rest of the day, both while at the store and while putting groceries away at home. He went over the possibilities a thousand times in his head. Finally, when he just couldn't stand being alone with his thoughts anymore, he went to the Curtis house.

He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and popped off the lid. "How you doing Two-Bit?" Ponyboy asked.

Two-Bit shrugged. He didn't have the energy to talk about his mom right now. He couldn't do it. He took a swig of the beer. For the time being, he didn't have to.

Of course, he couldn't exactly get wasted. Damn, he hadn't gotten drunk since before his mom died. His buddies kept reminding him that he had Lucy to think about. That meant that he did his best to beat her home (which wasn't hard since she started avoiding the house) and stayed clear-headed. But boy golly did he wish he could drink to his heart's content and stay out until 4.

That would numb the pain better than anything would.

But he'd have to settle for just a beer or two.

"Hey! No cheatin'!"

"I ain't cheatin'!"

"You're breathin', you're cheatin'!"

Two-Bit grinned as he looked at Steve and Soda playing poker in the living room.

"That ain't fair!" Soda proclaimed.

"Your cheatin' ain't fair!"

Soda suddenly kicked Steve's hand away from his shoe. "Says you! Drop the king!"

Steve groaned and dropped the card to the floor. "You wanna go?" He slammed his elbow on the table.

"I can take you!"

And so the arm wrestling match began.

Two-Bit rolled his eyes, grinning, and sat down beside Ponyboy on the couch. When Darry got home from work, Two-Bit followed him into the kitchen and watched him as he started dinner.

"Taking notes there, Two-Bit?" Darry asked lightly.

Two-Bit gave a short laugh. "I'm a lot of things but a cook ain't one."

"Don't we all know it."

"How'd you do it?" Two-Bit asked. "How'd you handle being a guardian and grieving? Golly, I stress myself out when I think about one of them, much less both at the same time."

Darry thought his answer over for a few minutes. "I don't know. Honestly… For me, the funeral was a turning point. It was hard and at first I was feeling sort of bitter if we're being honest," he admitted, refusing to look at Two-Bit. "I wasn't allowed to show the pain or do anything I had planned. And I had to figure out how to help them through it when I felt like I was going to die from the pain. But at that funeral… I don't know, man. I saw Ponyboy break down and Sodapop bawl and then I just… It's like everything snapped into place. I ain't saying that's when the real haling starts," he added quickly. "Not at all. You don't start feeling better for a while. But I understood the part I was playing. Suddenly that was what was important. All I wanted to do was to help them. Making sure they got over it and that they healed and lived full lives and were happy was all that mattered. The bitter feelings, the confusion… It let up a little. It let up enough that I could start putting our lives back together. Not well, I admit. I still felt lost and I made a lot of mistakes. But I could see a beginning and I could see the point. It made all the difference."

Two-Bit nodded his head slowly. "Do you think it'll go that way for me?"

Darry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I have no idea. We'll just have to see, I suppose." He glanced back at Two-Bit. "But if things ever get heavy or you need help, you just come by here. That I can promise you. Every one of us will drop what we're doing."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks man."

Darry simply nodded his head. He didn't need to say anything else.

That night, Two-Bit headed home around eleven. Lucy wasn't there, just like he knew she wouldn't be. Two-Bit sat down in a chair, watching the door. He left the lights off while he waited. This was partly to make sure she thought he was in bed and wouldn't try to avoid him and go through a window or something and partly because he wanted to recreate one of those movie scenes where the guy is in the dark room and scares someone silly.

Sure enough, Lucy came home around twelve thirty and gasped when she saw him. She immediately grabbed her blade, eyes wide. When he burst into laughter, she put the blade away, hitting the light and giving him a filthy look.

"I deserve that," he chortled, getting to his feet.

"Damn right," she growled at him.

"We need to talk." Two-Bit motioned to the couch.

She stayed standing. "I'm awful tired…"

"Well, you should have come home sooner. Sit."

Scowling at him, she sat down, arms crossed tightly across her chest. Two-Bit sat beside her.

"We can't keep this up," he told her. "We're family. We're all that's left of the Mathews. That has to mean something. Mom wouldn't have wanted this."

Fury flashed across her face and for a second he thought he was going to get slapped. Instead, he was just given a dirty glare. "That ain't fair. You can't use her to make a point."

"I ain't using her to do anything. It's true," he replied coolly. She snorted in response. Two-Bit watched her for a few minutes. "I miss her too."

She looked up at him, eyes suddenly teary. "That's exactly why I don't want to be around you."

Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow. Just when he thought she couldn't get anymore confusing… "I ain't following."

Lucy sighed and looked away again. "I don't want to sit and hug and cry about the good days when she was alive. The two of us… When we're together all we are is a reminder to the other that she ain't here. If I ain't home then I ain't with you and I ain't thinking about how you're in charge now 'stead've her."

"Now that's just dumb."

She glared up at him. "You asked."

"Yeah, I know I asked. But she's dead either way. And I know you well enough to know that we're similar enough that you're always thinking about it no matter who you're with."

"Yeah, well, I still don't need the reminder."

"Do your friends really not talk to you about it?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "They don't make me talk about it if I don't want to."

"Seems to me that if they were good friends they'd make you face it."

She threw him a dirty look. "Are you trying to piss me off?"

"Sure," he replied hotly. "I'll do anything right now if it will get you talking. This ain't ideal but I'd rather fight with you than have you out on the streets all the time! If we're fighting then at least you're talking. I'm your brother. I'm supposed to take care of you."

"Well, stop!" She jumped to her feet. "I don't want you taking care of me! It ain't supposed to be like this! You shouldn't be in charge at 18! You should just be doing your usual thing! I shouldn't have to not have a mother anymore! I should have a guardian who understands things I'm going through!"

"I can understand! Talk to me! What do you need advice on?"

"Nothing! I don't want to talk about it!"

"Well, tough because I do!"

"Periods, Two-Bit! I need pads and I don't have the money to buy them and I don't want to ask you for the money! And I'm out of Midol!"

Two-Bit felt his eyes grow as wide as saucers. He swallowed hard. Oh no. This wasn't what he wanted at all. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. What do you say to a girl talking about her period? Oh no.

"You see? You don't want to talk about it either!"

He swallowed, trying to think of something to say. "We can get your stuff, Lucy…"

"I know but I can't talk to you about this stuff Two-Bit! I can't talk to you about girl stuff!"

"But you have friends for that."

"It's not the same."

Two-Bit suddenly realized a huge difference between what he was doing and what Darry did. Darry had brothers. He didn't have to try to get the female mind. And that was when Two-Bit realized he had an advantage.

"Look, we'll take care of that stuff tomorrow okay?"

Lucy nodded slowly, looking uncomfortable.

"It's Saturday. Just don't take off with your friends okay? We'll figure this all out tomorrow."

She nodded again.

"Okay. Go get some rest kid."

She nodded and said quietly, "You too."

"I will."

She glanced at him, looking like she might cry. She opened her mouth to say something then shook her head and went down the hall to her room.

Two-Bit sighed to himself. This wasn't going to be easy. He'd talk to her again tomorrow. He'd corner her every night if he had to but he was going to make this work.

The next day, Two-bit woke up and showered then went straight for the phone. He hung up a few minutes later and checked on his sister, who was still asleep. Good. He jogged to his bedroom and got dressed in the usual jeans and T-shirt then made breakfast.

He had just finished the eggs when the door opened. "In here," he called quietly. Kathy walked in the kitchen and smiled.

"Good morning. Where is she?"

"Room. I'm not sure she's up yet."

"Let her sleep then," Kathy told him.

Two-Bit shook her head. "Nah. It'll get her to start coming home at a decent time maybe. She's gotta get up early, even on a Saturday."

"Two-Bit."

"I'm not gonna live like this." He turned and went to the door then started pounding on it. "Up! Up and at 'em!"

After about a minute of it, the door was wrenched open and he was greeted by a very unhappy teenager. "What do you want?" she growled.

Two-Bit still didn't stop grinning. "Kathy's here."

"So go kiss her and leave me alone."

"Kathy's here for you," he clarified.

Lucy eyed him uncertainly. "Why?" she asked slowly.

"You're going to go shopping for all the girl stuff that you don't want to get with me. I gave Kathy some money. You can have a girl day."

The uncertain look on her face remained and Two-Bit started to think he'd made a mistake. Maybe this wasn't something she'd appreciate. He glanced at Kathy nervously then back at Lucy.

Her face softened and she nodded her head slowly. "Thanks, Keith." For once he didn't even bother to correct her.

"Go get ready," Kathy told her.

"Breakfast is done and will be ready," Two-Bit told her.

"Thanks." She gave him a genuine smile and went back into her room.

Two-Bit looked at Kathy. "Well, there's an attitude adjustment."

"A good one." Kathy chuckled. "Boys really don't understand how essential that stuff is. Depending on the girl, it can be really, really rough."

Two-bit shook his head. "Please, please don't keep talking about it." This only made Kathy laugh loudly and walk into the kitchen. Two-Bit followed her. Why did he have the feeling he would never understand girls?

Kathy picked a piece of scrambled egg out of the skillet and Two-Bit grinned, sliding his arms around her waist from behind. "Eating out of the skillet? My kind of girl."

"I know I am." She grinned back at him. "Grab a couple of plates."

Two-Bit groaned. "We can eat out of the skillet. Luce wouldn't care."

"Plates."

"You went from being a dream to bossing me around," Two-Bit complained playfully, going to the cupboard.

"That's my job as your girl," Kathy replied.

"More like your job as _a_ girl," Two-Bit shot back. She whipped him with a dishtowel and he grabbed it away from her, grinning wildly.

Lucy walked into the kitchen, hair pulled into a ponytail and fully dressed. The makeup was heavier than Two-Bit would have liked to see but one battle at a time.

"Hey," she said, reaching over and grabbing a piece of egg out of the skillet.

Two-Bit grinned. "See? We can eat out of the skillet!"

"We're not animals." Kathy grinned and passed each of them a plate. "Come on, Mathews kids. Serve yourselves."

Breakfast was loud and rowdy for the first time in a very long time. Right afterwards Kathy and Lucy bounded out the door. Kathy had an entire day planned for them so Two-Bit beat them home after spending the day at the Curtis house.

He sat on the couch, trying to think of how best to talk to Lucy. He wanted to take Darry's advice here. He knew it was the best thing to do. So when the door opened and she came in, he got up.

"Have fun?"

She jumped and closed her eyes. "You have got to stop doing that."

He grinned. "Sorry. Was it fun?"

"Yeah. I got what I needed." She held up her shopping bag.

"Great. Listen, I need to talk to you about something kind of serious."

She hesitated. "Yeah… Sure. Can I just put this away first?"

He nodded. "Yeah." She went down the hall and was gone longer than she probably needed to be. But he didn't want to fight. They might end up doing that anyway.

Lucy came back and sat down in a chair, eyeing him wearily. "What's going on?"

Two-Bit took in a deep breath then said softly, "I want you to go over Mom's funeral plans with me."

Lucy's face immediately hardened. "No." She got to her feet, as did Two-Bit.

"Yes. You're a part of this family to and whether you want to admit it or not Mom is dead and we have a funeral to plan and that funeral is next Saturday! You can't hide from this because it's happening. Next Saturday we are gathering together to say goodbye and celebrate her life." His voice caught on the last sentence and he cleared his throat lightly.

Lucy stared at him. "How can you be so calm about this? How can you not shed a tear? Don't you miss her?"

"Of course I miss her! I miss that she sang when she cooked but she couldn't carry a tune! I miss that she would always listen to any worry at any time no matter what she was doing! I miss that on the rare occasions when she got angry she just started baking! I miss everything okay? I miss it all! But there is nothing we can do! She's gone, Lucy!" As tears began to fall from his little sister's eyes, Two-Bit pulled her to him. "She's gone," he said softly, wrapping her in a hug. She didn't fight him.

After a few minutes, she whispered, "We have to have brownies at the memorial service…. Mom never went without brownies at any event."

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah… Brownies."

"It should be outside," she said quietly. "She hated being indoors too much."

"Yeah... And we're gonna need lemonade since we're outside."

"Mom always thought it was a crime to be outside without lemonade." Lucy buried her face in his chest as she started sobbing.

He kissed her head lightly and closed his eyes. "I know sweetie. I know…" His own throat tightened even more but, as usual, no tears fell. They rose to his eyes but they didn't fall. For once that didn't seem like such a good thing.


	4. Donna Mathews

**Chapter 4**

**"Donna Mathews"**

**May, 1968**

Next Saturday arrived before he had expected. It didn't feel like it had been a week. But somehow it had and as Two-Bit looked in the mirror at his reflection, his stomach lurched. This was it. This was really it. It was time to say goodbye.

He reached back and smoothed his hair back lightly then went to rub his hand on his pants. He caught himself in the nick of time and rubbed his hand on his bed spread instead.

She'd be proud, he realized. She rarely got to see him in a suit but whenever she did she always beamed at him. She would say something like "Look at my boy, growing up so quick." And, of course, Two-Bit would make some joke or mumble something in an embarrassed fashion. Then there was always something she fixed. But today, maybe because he knew there was no mother to fix it, he had done it all right.

Taking a deep breath, Two-Bit walked out of his room. He rapped his knuckles lightly on Lucy's door. "You ready kiddo?"

Slowly, Lucy walked out of her bedroom. Her hair was pulled back, just like their mom had always tried to get her to do more often, and she had on simple, black dress that their mother had bought her for Christmas.

He led her with him down the hall and out of the house. Neither of them spoke much. They didn't have anything really to say. What do you say when you're going to say goodbye to someone so important to you? What can you say to someone you know is hurting just as much? What do you do when you know there's no way to do any comforting?

The morning passed in a blur. It wasn't until the funeral started that it really began to hit him. He would really never talk to her again. She was really gone.

Two-Bit stood with Lucy, his arm tight around her, as they watched the casket slowly make its way into the grave. This was it. This was really it. He swallowed thickly, eyes glazing over with tears that still didn't fall. She didn't deserve this. There was no one who deserved it less.

She had never had an easy life. She worked her entire life and she worked hard. When her deadbeat husband left she didn't even blink an eye before taking another job and it never dulled her spirits. She was always cheerful, even if she got home at one in the morning and got up at four in the following morning. She loved her kids and never took anything so serious that they were afraid to talk to her.

Then, just like that, the body was buried. Two-Bit looked down at his sister, who had tears steadily racing down her cheeks. He hugged her close to him, whispering that it would be okay even though he didn't believe it. He didn't have the energy to believe it. The bad part of that was that she could see right through him. Even if she didn't call him on it, he knew she knew he wasn't being honest.

But he also knew there was more to do before they could go home. They still had the memorial service. The service would be outside the little church, just as Lucy had suggested. They had brownies and lemonade, among other food and drinks, for before and after the service.

He hoped that his mom would have liked it. But it killed him that he couldn't ever find out for sure. He could never ask her if she liked the good they had chosen or the words that would be said. If she was around, they wouldn't be here.

_I've leaned my lesson,_ he thought, closing his eyes tightly. _I took her for granted. Please, please, please give me another chance. Don't let this be real. Turn back time. Anything. Just let us have her back._

"Come on," Two-Bit whispered softly. "We still have the service."

"I don't want to go," Lucy said, taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes. "I don't want to. I want it to be over." She looked up at him almost pleadingly and Two-Bit felt his heart break even more for her. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do to make her feel better.

"We have to sweetheart," he said softly. "We do."

Lucy looked away, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. Two-Bit knew how she felt. He was emotionally drained too.

"I know it hurts. But it only goes up from here," Darry told her gently.

She looked up at him, obviously not believing him, but nodded her head. "Let's do this then," she said quietly.

Two-Bit looked at Kathy helplessly. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "It'll be okay babe."

He nodded and the group made their way up the hill to the church. The group from the funeral had beaten them there and was all talking, eating, and drinking. Two-Bit looked at Lucy, who looked at the food with a disgusted look. He nodded and led her to some seats. He wasn't hungry either.

They all moved to the rows of seats that they had earlier set up and sat down. Two-Bit leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He wanted it to be over. He needed it to be over. He was sick of the pain. At least at home he didn't have to face the harsh reality quite so clearly. It hurt too badly.

He looked at his younger sister, who was sitting beside him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Although she was crying, she kept her head held up high. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. On his other side was Kathy. She was crying as well but she had her arm around Two-Bit, knowing him well enough to see through the brave front he had up.

The gang sat behind them. Two-Bit was glad they were there. He had told them they didn't have to go. No one really wanted to be at another funeral. There had been four over the past year and it was emotionally exhausting. But they all wanted to go, not just for Two-Bit. They knew each other's family's well and the loss hit them too.

He looked around as people took their seats and the pastor made his way to the front of the group. Two-Bit looked at the picture of his mother that was propped up.

He was filled with a now familiar longing and desperation. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take care of a fifteen-year-old girl that barely liked him. He just couldn't do it…

The service started but Two-Bit wasn't even listening. He was too busy remembering every detail about his mother. Nothing would be the same. She was such an incredible person. So gentle and patient and loving… She would never turn away anyone who needed something. It didn't matter what she was in the middle of. But no one ever really showed their appreciation. Especially Two-Bit and Lucy. They should have showed the most respect and love back but they just repaid her by staying out all the time.

"If anyone would like to speak," the pastor said slowly.

Two-Bit looked up. He wanted to speak. He needed to speak. But right now his thoughts were no where near organized enough for it.

Jack King, his mother's boss, got to his feet instead. "Donna was a great woman," he said. "She was always on time, well, most of the time. Some days she ran late because of the kids mostly and some days… Well… We all knew Donna. Some days she was just late."

Two-Bit snorted a chuckle and ducked his head a little at the comment. It was the truth.

"But, man, she loved her kids," Jack said softly. "They'd come visit her sometimes. Every time they did, she'd scold them for something or other and tell Two-Bit to straighten his shirt and Lucy to stand up straight but she always did it with the most love…" Lucy shifted beside him and Two-Bit looked over then smiled to himself a little. She was sitting up straight. He took a minute to straighten his shirt, jacket, and tie. "They loved her too. They'd be difficult but when push came to shove those kids were there for their mom every time. I wish I could have done more for Donna. She was always there for me whenever I needed it. So kids if you ever need me for anything you just let me know."

Two-Bit nodded to him and Jack sat down. Two-Bit got to his feet. "My mom was a special woman. She was very… Well… She was special." He grinned a little, unable to help it. "The woman could trip over anything. And I do mean anything. It was a talent, really. But man she was the hardest worker I ever met. When my dad ran out she never hesitated to take another job and pick up the pieces. I just… I wish I were a better son. There were so many nights when she would ask me to please come home earlier and I always said I would. But I never did. She never yelled. She was never mad at me. And I thought, "wow, this is great. I can do whatever I want." I never thought, "wait a minute, what about when she's gone? What about all the time I never spent with her?" Now… I'd give anything to have gone home early a few nights. Absolutely anything. I owe her a lot and I never… She gave everything up for me. Everything. What do you do when you owe someone the world and there's no way to pay them back? What do you do for someone so giving and so kind?"

His voice broke and he looked down at his baby sister, who was sobbing now. Then it clicked. It finally clicked. He was all she had. He had to step up and be the adult here. He had to be good to her and treat her well and love her and be everything their mom was. And he could do it. He reached down and took his baby sister's hand in his.

"I love my mom. She deserved more. Much more. I wish I could have made things easier on her. I just hope she knows I did love her and any mistakes I made certainly weren't her fault. She did an incredible job with us both. She was more than our mom. She was our friend." He sat down beside his sister.

Lucy rose next. She was quiet for a few minutes as she tried to control her tears. "My mom was easy to take for granted. She was quiet and didn't shout what she wanted. Most of the time she didn't even state it. I wish I would say that we were there for her as often as she was for us." She looked at the picture. "I love you mom." She sat down next to Two-Bit and he wrapped her in a tight hug as she cried on him.

The gang said a few words, as did Kathy, and some neighbors and family friends also spoke. Then it was over.

Two-bit slowly stood, lifting a sobbing Lucy with him. He kissed her forehead gently. "We're going to be alright."

This time, even though everything hurt, he believed it.


	5. Graveside

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the great reviews. I really appreciate this. This story is what it is because of you! I'd lose inspiration like no other without your reviews. Thank you! Also this chapter is going to have a character some of you may recognize from a couple of my other stories. :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 5**

**"Graveside"**

**May, 1968**

The wind was blowing heavily as Two-Bit went inside, slamming the door shut behind him. "I'm home!" he bellowed.

Lucy walked in from the kitchen. "Where'd you go?" she asked, mouth full of something.

"I was job hunting with Darry." He threw himself on the couch. "What are you doing on this fine evening?"

"Why weren't you at school?" she asked, ignoring his question.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It was the only day this week Darry could help me look for a job."

Lucy frowned. "Are you planning to drop out?"

Two-Bit thought over his answer. It depended. He didn't want to. He liked school. But if he had to to keep food on the table he would. There was no doubt about that. He sighed to himself. "I don't know, Luce." She opened her mouth and he cut her off with, "So what are you plans?" He knew whatever she had planned to say would be argumentative and he didn't want to start. It was one of his best traits. He was too lazy to fight. He couldn't help but wish Lucy had that trait.

"I'm going out with some friends."

Two-Bit rolled his eyes as she turned away. She was home more since she had helped with the funeral but not by much. She came home before school and came home in time to get to bed at a decent hour. But they still didn't spend much time with each other.

"What about you?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I'll be at the Curtis'."

"Big change," she teased. She bit on her lip and turned back to him, obviously getting ready to say something. "Listen… I was thinking…. Is it too soon to visit mom's grave?"

He raised his eyebrows, taken off guard. "You… You want to?"

"Well, yeah… It ain't like there are much options when it comes to seeing her."

"You ain't seeing her if it's at a grave. You're seeing a stone." He didn't understand it. He'd never visited a grave before and he didn't plan on it now.

Lucy's eyes flashed. "It ain't just a stone! What else can we do to be close to her?"

"Be in the house. See her stuff." Two-Bit was careful to keep his voice even. He didn't want to fight about it but he sure as hell wasn't taking her.

"So, what? You'll never go with me?"

"Nope."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to Karen's."

"Who's Karen?"

"She's one of my friends!" She groaned as if he should know that, walked out of the house and slammed the door shut with a bang.

Two-Bit winced. "Well," he muttered, "I won't be doing that again." He shook his head and sighed, unable to believe that she was so upset over him not wanting to to to their mom's grave.

Later that evening, he walked into the Curtis household. "Hey-ho!" he shouted, shutting the door a little more gently behind him.

"Hmm," said Ponyboy, eyeing him curiously.

He glanced at the younger boy. "What?"

"You usually slam doors."

Two-Bit shrugged, managing to stop himself from rolling his eyes, and walked inside. "Eh. Thought I'd change it up." He lay down on the floor and folded his arms behind his head.

"Why didn't you go to school today?" Steve asked.

"I didn't want to look at your face," Two-Bit joked cheerfully.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Pain in the ass."

"Don't act so surprised," Two-Bit teased.

"Hey, Two-Bit, I got a question." Soda walked in the door and kicked off his shoes. He looked at Darry. "Mail?"

"Nope."

Soda looked back at Darry. "So. I got a question."

"Hmm?"

"You still need us to look at that radio of yours? Cuz I got some time now." Soda stretched. "I got stuck doing gas and register all day today. I'm dying to do something."

Steve scoffed. "If you need something fixed I'm the one to go to."

Soda's face immediately lit into a competitive grin. "Oh yeah?"

"Got that right." Steve got to his feet.

"Got anything else that needs workin' on, Two-Bit?" Soda asked. "We can have ourselves a little showdown."

Two-Bit grinned. "Well, hell, I'll take any free work you wanna give. I think my power steering's got a bit of a leak."

"I'll take it," Steve said. "That's a harder fix than a dumb radio."

"Bull!" Soda roared happily, wrenching the door back open. "After you, princess. You'll need the head start."

"What are you smoking?" Steve responded, walking out the door.

Ponyboy raised his eyebrows. "The strangest things keep them entertained."

"Says you," Two-Bit quipped. "Look at that thick thing you're reading!"

"It was Mom's favorite book," Pony replied, giving him a friendly glare.

"What is it?" Darry asked, looking up. "_Little Women_?"

"Yeah."

Two-Bit shook his head. "Man, I ain't never gonna read any book for fun. And if for some reason I ever do it ain't gonna be that thick!"

"500 or so pages," Darry said. "Yeah, it's pretty big. Didn't you read it in school?" Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow and Darry grinned. "Right. I forgot who I was talking to for a minute."

There was a loud clatter outside and a shout. Darry got up, crossed the room, and opened the door. "You okay out there?"

"Yeah!" Soda called back.

"Okay. Watch yourselves out there."

"You got it Dare!"

Darry shut the door, shaking his head.

Two-Bit hesitated then asked slowly, "Have either of you ever been to the graveyard? Like to visit your parents?"

For a long moment neither of them did anything but look at him seriously and Two-Bit regretted asking the question. Then Ponyboy slowly nodded his head and Darry said, "We got down every now and then… Last Christmas we went down and we went down after Soda called us out on all the fighting for example. Why do you ask?"

Two-Bit suddenly felt even more uncomfortable. He shrugged casually. "Lucy wants me to go with her. I guess I don't see the point."

"Some people don't," Darry said slowly.

Ponyboy eyed him coolly, almost as if he were trying to figure him out. Two-Bit didn't appreciate that one bit. He didn't want to go simply because he didn't see the point. There was no underlying meaning. A small part of him started to prod at him, as if challenging that thought, so he spoke again before it could. "She got real mad at me."

"That's something you two have to work out pretty much on your own," Darry told him gently. "Something like that ain't anything we can really give advice on. It's up to you."

Two-Bit let out a groan. "I was afraid you'd say that." Needing a change of subject, he walked to the door and opened it. "How're you two doing out there?"

"Fine! I'm winning!" Steve called back.

"You are not!" Soda hollered.

"Will you two slow pokes hurry it up?" Two-Bit teased. "I need to get to the store!" They both answered him flipping him off without even looking up from what they were doing. He laughed loudly and looked around. "Wanna walk to the store with me anyone? Help keep me entertained? No one ever warned me how dull shopping is."

Pony grinned and got up. "Yeah, okay. I'll go."

"Why, thank you." Two-Bit grinned at his friend then looked at Darry, who shook his head. "See you later then Darry."

The two of them walked out of the house then the gate. As they passed the boys, Two-Bit said, "Enjoy yourselves and may the best man win."

"I will," they both replied.

As he and Ponyboy walked into the store, Two-Bit suddenly felt horribly overwhelmed. Shopping was the worst chore he had inherited. He didn't know how to get the best deals or which brands to chose or where everything was. It was just a horrible reminder that they needed their mom. It didn't help that nearly all of the employees knew her and constantly asked Two-Bit about it.

He went to produce first and started getting vegetables and fruits. They had never been his favorite things but if he was going to be responsible he might as well get the healthy food choices.

"You're actually planning to eat that?" Pony asked in mock awe.

Two-Bit scuffed his head with a hand. "Or make Lucy eat it all."

"That I believe," Ponyboy teased.

Giving him a wolfish grin, Two-Bit jogged on ahead to the next aisle. Seeing Mrs. West, a particular employee that had even come to their house for dinner a few times, Two-Bit ducked into another aisle quickly.

"What was that about?" the younger boy asked, following him curiously.

"Nothing," Two-Bit muttered.

"I'm not stupid."

"Unfortunately. Drop it, alright?"

He did, although it was obvious that he didn't want to. That led to a few minutes of quiet shopping, which Two-Bit hated.

Ponyboy suddenly waved at someone and ran over to a woman with a cart. Two-Bit gave the kid a surprised look then looked at the woman. He knew her. He knew he did. But then he placed her. It was Ms. Brown, one of his elementary teachers. She had given him lunch detention for years after he was out of her class because she always got stuck with playground duty and Two-Bit had never followed the rules.

That was how he had met Johnny. She had scheduled them both for detention at the same time, hoping they'd hit it off. He hadn't seen her since Johnny's funeral.

He slowly joined her and Ponyboy, who was telling her about how Darry and Soda were. They both turned to look at him and Ms. Brown gave him a small, sympathetic smile that meant one thing: she knew.

"I heard about your mom," she said gently. "How's Lucy?"

Two-Bit looked up, taken off guard. Usually he got more "oh you poor things" or "how are you, dear?" He nodded a little. "She's doing okay. Honestly, it could be better but I don't really expect this to be easy. She's home safe at night and that's all I can really hope for."

She nodded. "Well, if you ever need any advice on teenage girls or anything, just ask me. I'll be happy to help."

"Thank you."

She nodded. "You boys have a nice day. Tell your group and Lucy I said hello." She walked away.

"I always liked her," Pony commented.

"Yeah, me too. She was a lot of fun to mess with in school." Two-Bit grinned to himself as he thought back to all of the lunch detentions.

Ponyboy laughed. "Yeah, of course that's what pops into your head." He was quiet a minute then asked, "She's the reason you met Johnny isn't she?"

Two-Bit nodded his head. "Yeah. She is."

Ponyboy nodded, obviously thinking now thinking about their friendship with the quietest member of their gang. Two-Bit glanced at him, immediately feeling the need to cheer him up. He'd never forget the scare Pony had given them all after Johnny died. He stopped doing homework and started fighting back more with Darry… Two-Bit was terrified, especially when he had seen Pony bust a pop bottle and threaten some Socs with it, that Pony was becoming like the rest of them.

Of all of them, Ponyboy had the most potential. He was going places. The last thing he needed was to become hard and tough.

Ever since, Two-Bit had always tried to make sure Pony was cheered up whenever he got quiet like that.

He nudged him with his elbow. "Remember that time Johnny accidentally started that food fight? Huh?" He saw a grin starting to tug at Pony's lips reluctantly and grinned himself. "You bumped into him when he had the serving spoon of spaghetti and it flew out and hit ol' Steve right in the back? Then he blamed me and dumped a handful on my head? And then we got the whole gang in it until your mom came home and made us quit it?"

Pony laughed a little and nodded. "I think she thought it was at least a little funny, even if she wouldn't say so… 'Specially once she found out it was an accident."

Two-Bit grinned at him. "Yeah. Darn right she thought it was funny. You know why?"

Pony rolled his eyes, still grinning and said, "Because you were involved," in a dry tone. At the same time, Two-Bit said, "Because I was involved."

He grinned at the younger kid. "You're learning! I automatically make things funny."

"Yeah, all right." Ponyboy grinned and shook his head.

"I'm hurt." Two-Bit grinned jokingly and pushed Pony forward. "Come on. I want to get out of here."

The two of them got home about forty-five minutes later to find Steve and Soda back in the house.

"I won," Steve said immediately.

"I think you cheated," Soda shot back.

"What?"

"You always cheat."

"You're lying."

Two-Bit laughed and shook his head. "Thanks guys."

"Yeah, yeah." Soda grinned at him. "You better enjoy the free business on the small problems. Someday we might end up charging you. What would you do then? You'd be in hundreds of dollars worth of debt to us cause of that junker of yours."

"Junker? You be nice to her." Two-Bit grinned. "All right, I'm heading home with this food. See you lot later."

When he got home, Lucy was home but she was locked up in her room. He shook his head and put the groceries away. It seemed like at least once a week they got into it. This was just getting harder and harder.


	6. A Strange Night

**Chapter 6**

**May, 1968**

"I think you should talk to her." Kathy crossed her arms and leaned back against the booth. "Sometimes talking to adults just helps." Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow, opening his mouth to challenge her. She held up a finger and shook her head. "Don't do it. I'm right. Look, Ms. Brown is my neighbor. She even lets me crash on her couch some nights when I get into it with Dennis."

Kathy's home life wasn't the greatest, like most people around the North Side. Her mother shouted at her all the time and would sometimes hit her but not as often as her stepfather, Dennis, would.

"You really think I should?"

"Yes."

Two-Bit crossed his arms and leaned back as well, watching her. "Kathy, I don't want-"

"Please, don't let your damn pride get in the way here. This is for Lucy a lot more than it's for you." Kathy leaned forward. "I ain't asking you to get money from her. I'm just saying you should talk to her. At least think about it, will you?"

He hesitated then nodded. "I'll keep it in mind."

He was surprised to see that Kathy looked legitimately relieved. "Thank you. Look, I ain't going to pretend to know what's going on in her life. But I do know that she's hurting and she ain't letting us in. I don't know how to get through her defenses but an adult might."

Two-Bit frowned. "Maybe."

Kathy sighed. "This is as won as this conversation is going to get for me right now."

He nodded, throwing her a light grin. "You know me pretty well."

"Unfortunately," she replied with a playful smile.

"Why does everyone insult me?" he asked dramatically. He picked up the check. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Whether he wanted to or not, he did a lot of thinking about what she had said. It was true. His mom had always put things in perspective well but she wasn't there. And it wasn't as if he shouldn't trust Ms. Brown. After all, she was the reason that they had Johnny. But he just couldn't let go of his pride enough to seek help from someone outside of his friends.

He watched Lucy curl up in the chair with a book and watched her, thinking again of his conversation with Kathy that afternoon. Maybe if he tried harder to understand her…

"Lucy?"

She looked up. "Yeah?"

Two-Bit hesitated then asked, "Can I meet your friends?"

Lucy's eyes hardened instantly and she leaped to her feet, shutting her book with a snap. "Why? Do you not trust me to pick decent friends on my own?"

"I didn't say that," he said quickly, getting to his feet as well. "I just… I feel like I should know them."

"Well don't you worry about it," she snapped. "They don't force me to drink or do drugs so I don't think you should be concerned."

"You think wrong then. Don't you see what's happened? You met them and that's when you pushed me away. I want to know why."

She groaned loudly. "Why? You want to know why? I pushed you away because I grew up and we don't have much to talk about! Okay?"

"No! Not okay! Nothing is ever as simple as that! You're hiding something from me! Is it a boy?"

"No, it's not a boy. But congratulations on falling to the assumption everyone does! Gosh! Why does everything have to be about boys? Why do my choices have to be about my friends?" She headed down the hall.

"We're not done here!" Two-Bit called, walking after her.

"Oh, yes, we are!" she snapped, slamming the door of her room behind her.

Two-Bit couldn't shake the uneasy feeling settling in his gut. Now he was really thinking about talking to Ms. Brown. He needed to know whom his sister was with. Who was the one influencing these changes and why was she so defensive?

He groaned and shook his head. He was never going to get to sleep, although sleep wasn't something that came easy anymore. Two-Bit went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, taking a swig. He needed to relax. This stress was going to kill him.

He was overwhelmed with a desire to get out. Buck was having one of his usual parties tonight… Two-Bit thought about that for a moment. Lucy was in her room for the night. She was fifteen. She had no real desperate need for him to be here. He didn't have to stay…

But he had to be here. What if she tried to sneak out with those friends of hers? Or tried to sneak them in? He couldn't just leave and get wasted. He had responsibilities now.

Just the mere thought of everything he had to do made him feel like downing another couple of bottles. He still needed a job and he had to fix things with his sister and try to figure out what was going on with her. He had too much going on right now to drink.

But it was that thought that had him moving towards the door. He was going to do it. Why not right? He waited around the living room all night every night hoping his sister would come out and actually be pleasant.

But not tonight.

Two-Bit pulled his keys out of his pocket, walked to the car, got in, and started it, which took a few tries. He pulled out of the driveway, drumming his fingers on the wheel. He did his best to keep his thoughts off of what he should be doing and focused instead on how good it would be to throw a couple of drinks back.

The minute he entered Buck's, he felt relieved almost and any thoughts of what he should be doing flew out of his head. This was familiar. The loud, horrible Hank Williams music was blaring loudly but for once he welcomed it. It meant a night to himself, doing what he wanted instead of what he needed. This was what he was used to. It was him.

He spread his arms as he walked to the bar. "Look who's back!"

Buck raised his eyebrows. "Mathews! Long time no see. What would you like?"

"Anything that's strong," he replied, sitting down in a seat.

Buck shrugged and slid him a glass filled with liquid. Not even bothering to study it further, Two-Bit downed half of it. He choked lightly, surprised at the strength. "Great, thanks," he told Buck, clearing his throat lightly.

"Hey, Mathews." Tim Shepard leaned against the counter beside him. "Ain't seen you in a while."

"I ain't been here in a while," Two-Bit replied, taking another swig of his drink.

Tim nodded. "So I gathered." He eyed him coolly. "What are you doing here Mathews?"

"I'm just kicking back. Getting a drink."

"Never seen you here this early before."

Two-Bit glanced at the clock. It was nearly eight o'clock. He shrugged. "Ain't you heard? I'm trying all sorts of new things."

"I heard. Guess that's why I'm surprised to see you here." Shepard shrugged. "I figured you'd be with your sister."

"Things ain't too great," he replied nonchalantly. Why in the world was this what he wanted to talk about? He started on his second drink.

"You've always been the stubborn type, Mathews. I just thought you might be staying close to home for a while."

Two-Bit shrugged. "Well I ain't."

"Hmm." Shepard didn't say anything else but that bugged Two-Bit more than anything. It left his brain to take over and start nagging him. He motioned to Buck to get him another drink. There was nothing like alcohol to quiet his conscience.

But for once it couldn't work quite fast enough. Buck slid the glass to him and Two-Bit looked at it for a minute. He touched it gingerly then got to his feet. He put the money on the table and walked out without a glance back.

He let out a short string of curses as he got into the car. You'd think doing the responsible thing would feel good. He still felt like crap. But he just couldn't justify being here, as much as he wanted to. He most definitely didn't want to go home. But what else could he do? He wasn't the guy who brushed off responsibilities. He wasn't his dad.

Pulling up at the house, he swore loudly and hit the steering wheel. Lucy was currently going out the window. He got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

She was already looking at him, eyes hard. "Where were you?" she asked.

"Don't you dare," he shot back. "You wouldn't be going out the window if you didn't think I was home."

Lucy crossed her arms. "You were obviously somewhere."

"Don't you worry your little head."

She watched him for a minute. "Buck's right?"

"I said don't you worry about it." His heart rate picked up, though. The last thing he wanted was to be found out. Yes, he was the oldest here and he was the guardian. But that also meant he was the example.

"You've got to be kidding," she said in a low voice. "You've _got _to be kidding. You were out drinking? Are you serious?"

"Hey!" He glared at her, all of his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Hey! That is not fair! Obviously I was not gone long! So don't you dare get on your high horse. Where the hell are you going anyway?"

"Out. I'm meeting some friends. Not drinking, that's for sure." She shoved past him and started walking down the driveway.

"Get your ass back here."

She didn't come back. She broke into a run instead. Two-Bit swore and glared after her before going in the house, slamming the door behind him. He threw himself on the couch.

If he was being completely honest, he and Lucy were so alike sometimes it scared him. They both tried to leave the same night without the other knowing and ended up catching each other in the act. He just hoped she wasn't off to the same place he was. He didn't want her to drink and smoke and hang around with the questionable guys around the neighborhood.

He got up and started pacing then threw himself back on the couch. He got up a minute later and turned on the TV for something to do. There was no way he'd relax until she got home.

"Damnit," Two-Bit muttered under his breath, glancing at the window. His concern over who she was spending time with entered his mind again. Now he really was considering talking to Ms. Brown. He didn't want to admit to anyone that he couldn't handle this but maybe Kathy was right. Lucy's overall safety and well being mattered more than his pride.

As the night passed, Two-Bit caught himself wishing he had never left Buck's. He'd be relaxed and drunk by this point if he had stayed. Lost a couple of games of pool, maybe won some… But he shook himself out of it every time. He couldn't drink these problems away.

His loving, wonderful mother was gone and he had to step up. That was the bottom line.

Two-Bit closed his eyes as he was hit with a fresh wave of sorrow. He wanted to talk to her so badly. All he wanted was to hug his mom and be reassured that everything would be okay, like when he was a kid. But the one person he needed most was the one person he would never talk to again.

He groaned softly and shifted on the couch. This was going to be a very long and hard night.

About an hour and a half after she left, headlights flashed through the window. Two-Bit looked up and slowly got himself to his feet. Lucy walked inside and the headlights slowly pulled away from the house.

"Where the hell did you go?" he demanded.

She shrugged her shoulders, all fire gone from her eyes. "Some friends. They gave me a lift home. Don't worry about it."

He dropped back on the couch. They weren't going to fight right now. He could tell that much. Neither of them had the energy. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." She glanced at him then headed down the hall. She stopped about halfway and glanced back at him. "I'm sorry." Then she went into her room and shut the door, leaving him absolutely bewildered.


	7. The Point of Difficulties

**A/N: I'm sorry this is so late! I've been having major computer problems. But hopefully they'll be better soon! We're working on it. :)**

**Chapter 7**

**"The Point of Difficulties"**

**May, 1968**

Two-Bit jogged up the steps to Kathy's house and knocked. Unfortunately he could tell from the car in the driveway that her stepfather was here.

Sure enough, Dennis ripped the door open. "What do you want?" he snarled at Two-Bit. The smell of booze and smoke was overwhelming.

"I'm looking for Kathy."

"Tramp's not here." His words slurred together.

Two-Bit's jaw tightened. "We've been through this," he growled. "You're not allowed to talk about her like that."

"And we've been through this," Dennis said in a low voice. "You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do."

"Want a bet?"

Dennis shoved Two-Bit back. "Back off. This is your last warning."

"This is your last warning," Two-Bit replied angrily. "You treat her with respect."

"This ain't your business kid. I'll do whatever I want. You understand?"

Two-Bit glared at him. "Yeah, I understand. But I ain't gonna just stand by and-" His fist connected with Two-Bit's face before the sentence was even out. He stumbled back from the force and glared at the large, nasty man that his poor girlfriend had to deal with every day.

"Leave my family alone." Dennis disappeared inside and slammed the door.

Two-Bit spit blood onto the grass and muttered, "Ass." He shook his head and looked around. Now where was he going? He wanted to check up on Kathy. Dennis was obviously in a dangerous mood and the last thing he wanted was to find out he'd hurt her in any way.

He remembered Kathy's words: _"Look, Ms. Brown is my neighbor. She even lets me crash on her couch some nights when I get into it with Dennis."_

Sighing, he jogged across the street and walked up the porch. He'd never been here but when he'd dropped Kathy off after their dinner few days ago she had pointed it out in the hopes that he'd go talk to her. Well, as usual, Kathy was going to get her way now.

He knocked on the door and shifted uncomfortably. That girl better never doubt how much he cared about her.

The door opened and Kathy grinned at him. "Hey, Two-Bit! I was hoping you'd turn up." Before he could say a word, she pulled him inside. "Dennis was in a nasty mood so I came here before we could even get into it. I wasn't in the mood to deal with- Holy shit! What'd he do to your jaw?"

"Nothing. It was just a hit. I'm fine." He looked her over, wanting to make sure she really was okay. When she passed his inspection, he nodded once. "I was worried when I saw how wasted he is."

"I'm okay. I promise. I beat it out of there quick." She kissed his jaw. "Wish you'd done the same."

"He pissed me off."

"One of these days you and I need to talk about that." She sat him down on the couch. "Wait here. I'm going to get Ms. Brown and some ice." Before he could argue, she took off into another room. He sighed again and leaned back against the couch, touching his throbbing jaw lightly.

"You can't touch it and expect it not to hurt," said Kathy, sitting down beside him.

Ms. Brown walked in the room and tossed him a bag of frozen peas. Kathy caught it and gently pressed it against his jaw. "Now what happened?" Ms. Brown asked, sitting in a chair across from them.

"Dennis," Kathy said. "They hate each other. This isn't the first time they've fought."

Two-Bit scoffed. "Won't be the last either. But usually I hit him back or first."

Ms. Brown sighed and shook her head. "Have you ever been an easy boy?"

"No. Ask anyone. I'm full of trouble. Ah…" He glanced at Kathy.

"Sorry…" she said, grimacing. "There's no real way to do this without it hurting a bit at first."

Two-Bit nodded a little. "Yeah, I know…"

"But isn't there something you want to talk about anyway?" Kathy prodded hopefully.

Two-Bit sighed and rolled his eyes. He glanced at his former teacher. "What does it mean when a teenager won't let you meet her friends?"

Ms. Brown hesitated. "Well… I'm afraid it's rarely good. Especially if they get defensive when it comes up."

"That's what I was afraid of. What do I do?"

"Can you tell me more about what's going on?"

Two-Bit sighed and explained. He told her all about Lucy and Tammy, about how close they had been and about how when Tammy left Lucy had been crushed. Then he told her about Lucy finding her new friends and changing.

"But, it just got even more confusing." Two-Bit leaned forward. "A couple of nights ago, she and I fought about it and I ended up leaving for a bit. When I came back, she was going out the window. Of course, I was pissed but she left before I could stop her. When she came home she apologized and went to her room for the night. I have no idea what happened."

Ms. Brown thought it over. "I don't know. Is it possible that something happened with her friends? Some argument or something?"

"I don't think so. She still goes out with them."

"Maybe one of them talked to her about it? Made her see your side?"

Two-Bit shrugged. "You really think one of them might do that? I mean from what I've heard they don't seem the type."

"As a whole," Ms. Brown pointed out. "But there might be one or two that are like Lucy. One or two who have their heads on right. That's all it would take."

"Yeah, I guess… What do I do?"

"I don't think there's really much. This is something she's going through. But if I were you I'd keep asking her about them. Eventually she might break down and bring them around. And keep trying to spend time with her. Some days she might try to get you to go away but I think she'd come to appreciate having you there for her."

Two-Bit nodded a little. "All right." He sighed. "When did things become such a mess?" he muttered, mainly to himself.

"Things will get better," Ms. Brown told him gently. She hesitated. "You still need a job, don't you?"

He felt his body immediately tighten, assuming she was wanting to give him money. He'd ask for advice for Lucy's sake but they still had money right now and things would have to get way worse before he would accept money. "Yes," he answered slowly.

Kathy grinned. "I told you he'd react like that."

Ms. Brown chuckled. "She knows you well, Two-Bit. I'm not giving you money, don't worry. But I know a place that's hiring. I have a friend that works there."

Two-Bit looked up. "Really?"

"Yes. I already recommended you and if you're interested you have an interview next week."

He stared. "Are you kidding?"

"Not at all." She smiled. "I remember you and your friends very well from school and one of the many things I remembered was your skill with words. You put things into words very well, you always have. The local newspaper is hiring. It's only an assistant job, fetching coffee and the like. But it could lead to something more when they see what you can do. Are you interested?"

Two-Bit gaped at her for a few minutes. He'd never even thought about a newspaper. The thought had just slipped his mind. Kathy elbowed him lightly, smiling, and he said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm definitely interested."

"Great. Well, then, next Monday you have an interview at four o'clock."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

They chatted for about an hour or so after that. It was good to talk to his old teacher again, it really was. It felt a weird at first but by the end of it he understood more than ever why Kathy went there when she needed a place to stay.

As they went to leave, Ms. Brown asked something that really surprised him.

"How is that group of yours doing? I know you had it real rough a few months back what with losing Dallas and Johnny."

Two-Bit blinked at her. "We're okay… Thanks."

She nodded. "They didn't deserve that end. They were good boys."

"Did you ever meet Dallas?" He didn't mean to use the surprised tone that he did. He just had never heard any adult other than his mom or the Curtises call Dally a good kid.

She smiled. "A few times. He seemed like a good boy. Rough upbringing, but that boy sure had potential."

"Yeah…" He cleared his throat lightly. "Yeah, he did." He gave her a smile and a small nod. "Well, we'll see you later. Thanks, Ms. Brown."

"Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow Kathy."

"Sure thing, Ms. Brown."

The teenagers walked out of the house and Two-Bit glanced behind him. "Does it ever freak you out how well she knows people?"

Kathy chuckled softly. "She's a good woman."

"Oh, I know that," he replied earnestly. "We all owe her a lot. Our gang never would have been the same without Johnny."

Kathy looked up at him. "Walk me to the library?"

He nodded. "Sure." He ran a hand through his hair. "You know, I can't believe she got me an interview."

"You'll do good there. You really do put things into words good." Kathy was quiet for a minute. "She told me I could move in with her if I wanted. I swear if I have to deal with my mom or Dennis anymore, I'm going to blow. So I'm going to do it. I practically live there anyway."

"You could live with us," Two-Bit said.

Kathy shook her head, smiling. She stopped in front of the library and turned in front of him. "Marry me first." She leaned up and kissed him quickly. "I'll see you later." She jogged up the steps and inside.

Two-Bit grinned after her and shook his head. "Later," he said, mostly to himself. He started the walk to the Curtis house, unable to stop smiling. He hadn't been with Kathy too long. They'd been friends for a long time but they'd only started dating during the week that Ponyboy and Johnny were missing. But being with her was the most natural thing in the world.

He walked up the steps and into the house then lifted his arms into the air. "I got an interview!"

Ponyboy looked up. "Really? That's great! Where?"

Two-Bit sat on the floor beside him. "The newspaper. Fetching coffee and the like."

"You could work your way up at a job like that," Ponyboy said, smiling. "I didn't even know you went there."

Two-Bit grinned. "I didn't. Ms. Brown did."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm. I'll be seeing a lot more of her since my girlfriend is moving in with her."

"Really?"

"Yep. She's done with Dennis." Two-Bit leaned against the couch.

Pony nodded. "Good. Hey, when Dare gets home, have him prep you for the interview."

"I will."

The boys sat together watching TV for a few minutes. It was a calm moment, something that Two-Bit needed desperately. But he was suddenly filled with a deep appreciation for Ponyboy. The two of them had always had a good relationship but they had grown closer over the past year. The kid was a real smart-ass but it was a trait Two-Bit appreciated. It was probably why they got along so well. Maybe he didn't always talk much but that was okay. There were times when it felt good to be quiet, something Two-Bit had never understood before. But it was a lesson he was starting to learn.

It was like something his mom had always said. Every time he was going through something hard she would tell him that the point of difficulties were to teach. But it was up to you if you wanted to learn or not.

_Boy,_ Two-Bit thought to himself, _if that's the truth, I'll be a freaking genius by the end of this._


	8. Full of Possibilitites

**A/N: It looks like my computer problems are finally under control! Whoohoo! For those of you reading Stand by Me, I will update asap! I've got a homework assignment that set me back. Sorry for the delay!**

**Chapter 8**

**"All the Possibilities"**

**May, 1968**

Two-Bit walked outside, dumbfounded. He didn't have much going for him. He had never worked before, he hadn't graduated yet, and he wasn't from the best neighborhood. And yet… Somehow, things might just be turning around.

He had just gotten out of his interview, which had gone much better than he expected. They really needed help. They _really_ needed help. He was filling out an application while waiting for them to call him in and the woman looking for an assistant, Karen Goode, interrupted him and took him to her office. She told him to finish while they talked and they couldn't have talked more than ten minutes before she hired him.

He didn't understand it. He wasn't all that impressive. But Karen had hired him almost immediately. Sure, it was a trial basis but it was a job that started Monday. He could barely believe it.

It wasn't until he was halfway home that it hit him. He had a job. He finally found something. Two-Bit let out a triumphant whoop then broke into a run. Things were looking up finally. He and Lucy had a few more good days now than they'd had before. Ever since their fight that ended in them both leaving, Lucy didn't yell at him quite as often. But he still wouldn't say they had a good relationship. They didn't talk much and didn't spend much time together.

He slowed to a walk as he hit the driveway of the house, grinning at the unusual sight in front of him. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Working." Lucy was bent over the hood of his car. "You've got so many things wrong here."

"How in the world do you know?"

"My friend's dad showed us some stuff last time I was there," she said without looking up.

"Yeah, well I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you under the hood of my baby," Two-Bit told her.

Lucy gave a perfect eye roll, although she was smiling. "Shut up dork. How'd it go?"

Two-Bit leaned against the car, still unable to stop grinning. It was a good day. It was indeed. "You're looking- or you would be if you were looking at me- at a working man."

Her eyes shot to him instantly and a wide, joyful grin split her face. "Great job! You must have done fantastic!"

He shook his head, gray eyes shining brightly. "Nah. She was really desperate."

Lucy grinned. "That works too. Either way! You had to do something right!"

Two-Bit laughed. "Yeah, let's hope it wasn't all desperation!"

His little sister's eyes danced with actual pride. He'd made his baby sister proud of him. "Mom would be real proud of you, Two-Bit."

"Thanks, Luce…"

She nodded then looked back at the engine. "I knew you could do it."

"That makes one of us."

"I'm sure your friends did too."

Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "Oh, ya'll have to believe in me. Or at least say you do," he added playfully.

Lucy grinned up at him. "I don't just say things to be nice."

"That's a good point. You're never nice."

She dropped her jaw, looking at him with mock offense. "You- No, no, it's true."

He tipped his head back and roared with laughter. Man, it had been a long time since they had joked like this. It felt good. Real good. He watched his little sister bend back over the engine, still laughing a little to herself. People always said that it was when the Mathews smiled that the family resemblance was plain and clear. He supposed it was true. Lucy looked quite a bit like their mother whenever she laughed or smiled. He wasn't sure he did; but people had told him he did enough that he thought it might just be true. Maybe it was the Mathews trait. He felt a pang in his heart and realized how much he had missed his sister's wide smile and her loud laughter that ripped through the house joyously. Causing that smile and laughter was what he missed most of all.

"Listen… Two-Bit…" Lucy said quietly, making sure not to look at him. She was suddenly very interested in something under the hood. "Since you're in a good mood… I wanted to ask you about something."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Look, since Mom died I've really been thinking we should-"

"Lucy, I still don't want to go to the graveyard." Two-Bit looked away. He didn't understand why she had to bring that up now. Not now when they were getting along so well. He fought back a sigh. Somehow, _somehow_, something always managed to tear apart any good moments they shared between them. _It's not her fault_, a small voice said softly. _She wants to be close to her mom. You can't blame her._

_Watch me,_ Two-Bit thought. He bit his lip to keep himself from sighing again. now he was being unfair and he knew it. Just because he didn't want to go didn't mean that...

She sighed. "Fine." She stood up straight and shut the hood.

"What's the verdict? Should I take it to Soda and Steve?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing urgent really. Not that I could tell. It can wait a little while."

"Great. And you said it was a piece of cra-"

"It is a piece of crap."

"You take that back." He grinned at her again. She rolled her eyes but he could see her fighting a smile as she did so.

"Hey, Lucy, listen. I'm going to go to the Curtis' to tell them the good news. You want to come?" Despite his offer and trying to keep an optimistic attitude, he already thought he knew what she would say. He was sure that she would say she had plans. He'd offered before and it was always the same answer.

Sure enough, she hesitated then shook her head. "Sorry, Two-Bit. I sort of had plans…"

"No problem kid." He threw her a smile. Two-Bit thought it over for a moment then gave his shoulders a slight shrug. He might as well give it a shot and ask. "Hey, how about next week we go to a movie, huh? Just you and me."

Lucy hesitated then nodded. "Yeah, okay. Deal."

He smiled. "Great. Okay. So, do you need a ride anywhere?" He walked around to the driver's side.

Lucy shook her head. "Nah. I'm meeting them at the park. It's just over there so…"

Two-Bit nodded. "Yeah, sure. Okay. See you later then. Do you know when you'll be home?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Early tonight? Seven or eight?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"All right. I'm gonna run inside and change. See you later, Two-Bit." She walked inside and Two-Bit heaved a sigh then got into his car.

With a groan, he dropped his head on the steering wheel. It was starting to feel like this was as good as their relationship was ever going to get. Maybe it was time to simply accept that. They'd never be where they used to be. A lot of siblings didn't have great relationships. It wasn't unheard of.

He sat up and started the car then pulled onto the street. As he drove, he wondered what it would be like if he could go back in time to when Tammy left. What could he have done differently to get her to stay home more? Maybe he could have followed her somewhere.

Maybe he should follow her one of these days anyway.

He shook his head. That sure wasn't the answer. No matter what he found out from that it wouldn't be worth the fight they'd be sure to get into. They'd never even talk about what ever he saw because they'd be too busy fighting about how he found out. It just wouldn't be worth it, as tempting as the idea was.

No. He'd take her to a movie next week and do his best to remind her how much fun they could have. He'd just have to be careful to be on his best behavior so as not to start a fight of some kind.

He'd do it right.

Two-Bit pulled up at the house, hopped out of the car and bounded inside. "I got the job!"

Soda and Steve let out a series of long whoops and clapped him on the back. "We're all working men now," Steve said with a grin.

"Except me," Pony grumbled from the couch.

Soda grinned at him. "Nah, you gotta focus on school and get good grades so-"

"I know, so I can go off to college," Ponyboy replied.

"No." Soda's grin widened, his dark eyes brightening. "I was going to say so you can get a good job and support Darry and me when we decide we don't wanna work anymore."

Pony laughed. "You really think Darry will give me that chance?"

"You're right. We'll just trick him into relaxing and then he'll see how addicting it is." Soda went back to the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Two-Bit asked.

"Cooking."

"Shit, really? Maybe I'm better off to eat at home."

"Hey, man, if Lucy's being a stinker today, just tell her you brought dinner and take her some of this," Steve joked.

Two-Bit burst out with a laugh and fell back on the couch. Soda laughed as well and called out, "Yeah, whatever. Go hungry. See if I care."

"What's on the menu tonight anyway?" Ponyboy asked.

"Lasagna."

"Yeah, made with?" Steve prodded.

"Now that's a secret," Soda replied.

"And that's what scares us," Two-Bit said.

Soda laughed loudly. "Ya'll have no imagination."

"No, we just don't like mystery meals," Steve told him.

"Right. No imagination. I'm disappointed."

Darry got home just as Soda was setting the table. Two-Bit looked up and grinned. "How'd it go?" Darry asked, kicking off his shoes and setting them down by the door.

"I got the job."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope! She said they really needed the help and they would try me and see if it'll be a good fit."

Darry grinned. "Well, good job man. That's great. When do you start?"

"Monday."

"You better enjoy your last two days of slacking," Steve told him.

Two-Bit rolled his eyes, grinning good-naturedly. "Please. I haven't slacked off in about a month now."

"What's it like to behave like an adult?" Ponyboy teased.

"I hate it." Two-Bit grinned at him. "Who would ever want to be responsible?" He hadn't told any of them about his slip back to Buck's. When he had told them about Lucy sneaking out and her change of attitude he had just said that he went for a drive. It wasn't like he was going to do it again and the last thing he wanted was any type of lecture.

But, even with all of his goofs and all of Lucy's, things were starting to look up. He had a job. He could start relaxing a little bit. He could afford to take Lucy to a movie. Maybe things would keep getting better.


	9. Answers

**Chapter Nine**

**"Answers"**

**June, 1968**

"Come on, let's go. We're gonna be late for the best movie in the world!" Two-Bit called.

"I'm coming!"

Two-Bit grinned. "You don't want to miss even a minute of Cary Grant do you? The man's an acting genius! He'll be a legend some day! I swear by it!"

Lucy jogged to him. "Oh, shut up," she chuckled. "Come on, let's go."

The two of them headed out the door. The drive in was showing the movie _Father Goose_. It had been released in 1964 but it was popular enough that they were doing another showing.

Two-Bit and Lucy had gone when it had first been released and honestly, Two-Bit loved it. He wasn't much of a movie person, he liked to talk and goof off too much. But he had a few that he enjoyed. That was one of them.

The movie was about a sailor, Cary Grant, during World War II who is convinced to live on an island and watch for Japanese plans. Reluctantly, the man begins life on the island until they can find his replacement. Unfortunately for him, instead of getting his replacement he gets a woman, Leslie Caron, in charge of seven young schoolgirls. Grant has to learn to live with them all while constantly butting heads with Caron.

Especially now, Two-Bit thought this movie was a good one for the two of them. It'd definitely be something they could laugh at and relate to. Even without Lucy staying out a lot and them having a rough time, they had the usual sibling trouble. Sometimes she'd yell at him for leaving the toilet lid up or he'd yell at her for not throwing away an empty milk carton.

Two-Bit glanced at his sister as they walked down the road. "So. How was your day?" he asked awkwardly.

She shrugged. "Fine. School's school. It wasn't anything special but it wasn't awful. We're getting out next week. Can't wait. What about you?"

"After school I went straight to work. Fetching coffee all day and filing things sure gets old after a while but it could be worse." He grinned. "Besides, my boss is pretty fun. Plus, the office thinks I'm funny."

Lucy grinned. "If they didn't you'd sure be in trouble. It ain't like you'd shut up."

"I would if I had to," he protested with a laugh.

"I'd love to see that!"

He scuffed her over the head playfully, rolling his eyes. "Punk." She laughed and ducked away.

"This movie's gonna be awesome," Two-Bit said with a grin.

"We know that. We've seen it."

"Yeah, but this time I can relate to _Cary Grant_. How great is that?"

Lucy laughed loudly. "Oh, that's why you've been so excited! I pretty sure that one girl in the same house in Tulsa doesn't really compare with eight girls on an island with no one to talk to about it."

Two-Bit grinned and shoved her away lightly and playfully. "No. Don't ruin this for me." Lucy laughed and bounced back beside him.

They paid and walked in the theater, something Two-Bit wasn't completely used to doing in all honesty. He was still used to sneaking in with Dallas, even if Dal had been gone for a while now.

They found their seats and Two-Bit glanced around, painfully aware of how many greasers there were that he didn't know and didn't trust. And they all seemed to be eyeing his sister. He caught one guy looking and gave him such a dirty look that they guy looked the other way fairly quickly.

Rolling his eyes, Two-Bit look to the screen as the movie started.

Okay so, like Lucy had said, maybe there were differences. But he sure did find the whole thing easier to relate to than he had a few years ago.

"I am _not_ that bad," Lucy whispered to him at one point, pointing at the screen.

Two-Bit merely lifted his eyebrows and looked down at her with a _are you kidding me? _look to beat all others. Lucy caught his look and gave him a small, guilty grin. She shrugged her shoulders and muttered, "Okay so I've been bad. But I've never kicked you out of your bed."

"I'll give you that."

She grinned at him then looked back at the movie. Two-Bit grinned at her before turning away himself. It was hard to believe that this of all things was connecting them but he was feeling as close to her as he ever had. The joking and the teasing were just like the good old days.

But a part of him knew that there was no way it'd last. It was just too easy of an ending to be his life. Things didn't get fixed by a movie.

But what the movie did do was show him that things really could be fixed. And that made him feel better than he had in a long time. As the movie ended, Lucy got up and grinned at him. "You counting your lucky stars we're not stranded on an island?"

Two-Bit laughed and hopped to his feet. "A little bit, yeah."

"Your gang couldn't save you there."

"Neither could your friends."

"I think I'd die out there." She grinned cheekily. The two of them loped out of the theater, making their way through the mess of parked cars to get out. He glanced at the bathroom and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom. Stay here, okay?"

"I can handle myself to get out without you," she reminded him. "I'm almost 16."

"Stop holding that over my head. But fine. I'll meet you outside. Don't go wandering off, though. I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered as she jogged away. Sighing, he turned and headed for the bathroom. He knew it was ridiculous. She went out by herself all the time, even at night. But there was a huge mix of people here and he wasn't about to pretend he trusted even half of them.

Besides, he knew what it was like here. A lot of drinking and a lot of smarmy guys looking to hook up with someone. It wasn't exactly something he wanted to leave her in alone. But he wasn't going to drag her to the bathroom with him and he did have to learn that she wasn't twelve anymore. She really was growing up, which meant she could handle herself.

Two-Bit walked out of the bathroom and quickly made his way to the road again. He looked around and it didn't take long to find her, although he heard her before he saw her.

"I said, back off. I mean it."

"Come on, Lucy."

"I'm not stupid," she spat.

"Oh, Mathews thinks she's smarter than the rest of us."

Two-Bit finally spotted them and felt his hands turn into fists at his sides. A tall, lanky, particularly shady looking greaser was standing over his sister, a nasty smirk placed on his face. Behind him was another guy and a girl, both laughing cruelly. The lanky guy grabbed Lucy by the wrist as she turned to walk away. No one should touch his sister.

He was there in less than five seconds. He furiously ripped the guy's arm away, grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him against the fence. He glared at him and got right up in his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snarled.

The guy's eyes were as wide as they could possibly be and he stammered for a minute. The idiot was obviously trying to come up with some response. Two-Bit pulled him away from the fence just to slam him back against it. "Don't speak to her. Don't even look at her. Get the hell out of here." He tossed the guy away from him. The greaser stumbled for a second in an attempt to find his balance then took off.

Two-Bit turned to Lucy, concern immediately replacing the anger on his face and in his voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she muttered, refusing to meet his gaze. "Can we just go home now?"

"Sure…"

She turned on her heel and started down the sidewalk, hands stuffed in her jeans pockets. He caught up to her quickly. "Hey, Luce, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes! I already said that!" she snapped, annoyance and defense ringing through her voice. He cocked an eyebrow, unsure where the attitude came from.

"You don't seem okay."

"Well, I am. You didn't have to save me. I had it covered."

"It sure didn't look like it."

"Yeah, well I did."

As he watched her he tried desperately to figure out what was happening. "What were they talking to you about anyway?"

Even in the dark he could see the color spring to her cheeks. "Nothing, okay? It's fine."

"It didn't sound like nothing. Did they want you to do something?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

He groaned inwardly. This wasn't working. "Lucy, I need you to talk to me. What was that?"

"It's not important!" She whipped around in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. Her brown eyes blazed indignantly as she crossed her arms over her chest tightly. "Okay? For once in your life will you trust me to have made a decent decision? I'm not an idiot. I can take care of myself and if I was involved in anything really bad I would tell you."

Two-Bit crossed his own arms over his chest, still studying her carefully. She read the look and groaned in frustration. Lucy whipped around and stalked down the street again. Groaning himself, he jogged after her. "Are they your friends?" he asked her quickly.

She threw him a dirty look. "I have better taste than that." Her eyes widened a little. "You really don't trust me not to get involved with people like that do you?" Honestly? No, he didn't. That's where most of his concern had been coming from. But he couldn't exactly say that. He thought the question over, trying to come up with a different answer for her.

Before he could come up with a reply, she read into his silence and scoffed in frustration, picking up her pace. "That's typical!" she snarled.

He swore and picked up his pace as well. "Hold on!"

"Why? So you can doubt me some more? No thanks!" She turned and stormed inside their house, letting the door slam in his face behind her. Swearing again, Two-Bit pulled it open and went inside.

"You know when you get cryptic and silent like this-"

"What?" She whirled around to face him.

"That's when I start to doubt who exactly your friends are!"

"Well, they're not scum like that I can tell you that one! Again I say, I ain't stupid!" She went into her room.

"Don't you slam that door!" he hollered just as it slammed shut. Letting out a few choice (well, not that choice) swear words again, Two-Bit glared after her.

The night had gone so well. How had it taken this direction? Was he ever going to get good at this? The answer to that question seemed to be no. He leaned against the wall, running his hands over his face. He was never going to get this right, that was for sure.

Two-Bit rose to his feet and went to her door. "Open up or your ass will be in serious trouble! Do you really want to test me right now?"

The door opened and he found himself facing a very upset teenager.

"I need you to stop pushing me away. We're all we have left."

"Oh, don't give me the speech. Family trust each other."

"Fine, that's true," he consented. "But you have to give me a reason to trust you. All I know is you started hanging gout with these people and you got this attitude! And now with what happened today… Of course I'm concerned."

"Don't be. I'm taking care of it!"

"Well why can't I help?"

"No one can help!" She stared up at him. "I have to do this."

"Why? Can you tell me that?'

"Because you aren't there with those people every day like I am!"

He felt himself freeze as he thought that over, as he did so he noticed Lucy's eyes widen with an emotion it took him a minute or so to place. It was fear. He was definitely about to figure out something she wanted left alone. His conclusion seemed ridiculous, impossible. But he had to ask. "Lucy," he said slowly. "Are you being bullied?"

"No," she said defensively. Too defensively for his taste.

"That's a load."

"I ain't being bullied! I get that you care about me but will you please butt out?" she asked desperately. Before he could answer she shut the door.

He lingered for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. After a few minutes, he knocked lightly on the door. "I'm sorry," he said softly. He wasn't sure what exactly he was saying he was sorry for. But someone needed to say it.

"I'm sorry too," was the quiet reply.

Two-Bit moved to the couch. This would explain a lot. Like why she was so protective of the friends she did have and why she had gotten more defensive about everything recently. He just couldn't figure out why she hadn't talked to him about it.

He slowly picked up the phone and dialed the Curtis' number. He knew it was late but hopefully it wasn't too late to talk. "Hello?" Soda asked from the other end.

"Yeah, it's Two-Bit. Is Darry there?"

"Sure. Hang on, Two-Bit. Darry!" Judging by how loud Soda's response was, no one was in bed.

"Two-Bit?" Darry asked as he picked up the phone.

"Yeah, hey. Listen, I need to talk to you. I think Lucy's being bullied."

Darry was quiet for a minute. "Hey, I'm going to come by so we can talk about it. I'll be there in a minute, all right?"

"You don't have to do that."

"It's fine. You've done it for us." There was a click as Darry hung up.

His "minute" to get there ended up being ten minutes but Two-Bit was grateful to have the conversation in person. He explained the evening's events and everything that had passed between them.

Darry nodded. "So maybe her friends aren't the problem here."

"That's what I'm thinking. Should I ask her about it again?"

"Probably," Darry said slowly. "But watch how you do it. Don't be accusing about it or anything."

"It seems like Lucy reads everything as accusing," Two-Bit sighed.

Darry sighed. "Then there may not be a good way to do this." The two of them were quiet for a few minutes then Darry suggested, "What about just asking more details for her school day once she gets home?"

"I could try it. But I ain't gonna get anywhere."

"Asking outright obviously won't get much either."

He nodded a little. That was a fair point. "So I just keep trying in ways that may not completely piss her off?'

"I don't know if there's much more you can do. You can't force her to talk to you about this."

"I wish I could put something in her drink," Two-Bit muttered. "Seems like that'd be the easiest way."

"Not really the most legal but easy, yeah," Darry agreed. Two-Bit forced a chuckle and Darry said quietly, "She's tough. She can get through whatever this is."

Two-Bit nodded a little. "Thanks."

"Do you want one of us to talk to her?"

"Sending someone to fill in for me? I think that would make it worse." Two-Bit shook his head. "Thanks, though."

"No problem."

Two-Bit sighed to himself and leaned against the couch. He was quickly realizing that there was no easy fix to this. No. This was going to difficult. At least he was finally figuring out what he was dealing with.


	10. Drink it Away

**A/N: I'm sorry for the late update! It's been kind of a crazy week! **

**Chapter 10**

**"Drink it Away"**

**June, 1968**

Two-Bit stretched and got to his feet. It was funny. He didn't feel nineteen. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. That was what everyone always said on their birthday, except for a few little kids who thought they were supposed to and said yes they did feel different today. He got dressed and headed down the hall.

He could smell bacon and eggs. Well, this was a start to a good day. He entered the small kitchen to see Lucy transferring some eggs from a skillet to a plate. "Hey," she said without looking up.

It had been about two weeks since he and Lucy had gone to see _Father Goose_. Neither of them had really mentioned what had happened. For the last week that she was in school, however, he did ask her more details about school. Every time she had fixed him with a weary "I know what you're doing" look and had responded with painfully vague answers. Now that she was out of school for the summer, all he could do was hope that she wouldn't have much of a problem.

Not that he could really do too much about it if he barely knew it was happening.

"Hey," he answered, leaning against the doorway. "You made breakfast?"

"Mmmhmm." She grinned up at him. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks. Should I be scared to eat it?" eH grinned at her, eyes sparking with joy at teasing her.

Lucy laughed. "Shut up." She moved past him, balancing three plates in her arms. One with bacon, one with eggs, and the third with toast. She set them all down delicately.

Two-Bit clapped his hands and whooped loudly. "Very good. You should be a waitress." Though he was, in all honesty, impressed. She could be a waitress if she wanted to. Although, like he'd always said, she could do anything she wanted to. She was one of those people.

She laughed again. "Don't be such a smart ass. Sit down and dig in." The two of them started breakfast together, thankfully both in a good mood.

"So, birthday boy," teased Lucy, "what are you doing today?"

He shrugged. "I have to go to work. Then I don't know. Curtis' probably. Want to come?"

Lucy shook her head. "I have some stuff to get done." Noticing his face fall slightly before he could stop it, she added, "But if I finish and you're not here, I'll go by there."

"Sure," he said, giving her a grin to hide his disappointment. He wasn't surprised, not at all, but he couldn't help being disappointed. He knew that she would get along with the gang if she gave it a chance. Not to mention that Steve and Pony could keep an eye out for her if Two-Bit did drop out. But he couldn't bring himself to push it. She could hang out with whoever she wanted to. He knew most sisters didn't hang out with her brother and his friends but he knew it'd be good for her.

She got up after a few minutes. "I'll be home soon, okay? I have some stuff to do."

"Sure. Have a good day, kiddo."

"Will do." She smiled at him and gave him a hug. "Happy birthday Two-Bit."

"Thanks," he said. He watched her as she headed for the door.

"Don't touch the dishes! I'll take care of them when I get home!" The door shut loudly behind her.

Feeling grateful to not have to do chores and not feeling the longing to challenge her, he got up and headed for the door. The day at the Curtis' went as it usually did, but maybe with a little bit more teasing. That was just fine with him. He liked it that way.

Two-Bit sat on the floor with his third piece of cake.

"So, how was work?" Darry asked, sitting in his usual chair.

"Fine," Two-Bit replied. "They brought me lunch from Sal's diner for free."

"Well that's the way to your heart," Soda commented with a grin.

Two-Bit grinned lopsidedly and put a hand to his chest, feigning touched. "You know me so well."

"I should. You eat everything we have whenever you come," Soda teased.

Two-Bit opened his mouth to shoot back a smart reply then dropped it and nodded. "Yeah. I do. You're right." He looked up at them. "Good meal tonight, by the way."

"Thanks," said Ponyboy and Sodapop at the same time. They looked at each other.

"No, no," Soda said cheerfully, wagging a finger. "I cooked."

"I cooked. I made this meal what it was," Ponyboy said.

"What's that?" Soda asked. "Boring?"

Pony grinned. "To everyone else's enjoyment, yes."

"All you did was backseat cook and stop me from adding the good ingredients!"

"You mean I stopped you from making it alien food."

"Oh, look," Two-Bit said happily. "Dinner, dessert, and a show!"

Both of the boys looked at him then started laughing, shaking their heads. "Truce?" Pony asked.

"Truce," chortled Soda, shaking his hand. Two-Bit watched them with admiration. They had a good relationship for sure. He envied it a little, just as he was growing to envy both of their relationships with Darry. Ponyboy's was especially something. They had started rough, just as bad as him and Lucy (hell, maybe it had been even worse). But you wouldn't know it now. Sure, they had disagreements. They were too different in some ways while too similar in other ways. But their relationship had grown a lot. They never shouted and both made the effort to see the others' side. Soda was probably to thank for that. Two-Bit rolled his eyes with a smile, thinking to himself that maybe Soda needed to get more involved with their lives and fix their relationship too.

Steve got up and headed into the kitchen. "Chocolate milk anyone?" Everyone did, even Darry. After a few minutes, Steve poked his head out. "Well, come get it. I'm not your waitress." He came back in the living room and sat on the couch, muttering under his breath about their expectations.

Two-Bit snorted. "Then why'd you offer?"

"I poured them. Just don't expect any more." Steve rolled his eyes.

"I feel sorry for the poor gal you marry," Two-Bit muttered, getting to his feet. Steve lashed out at him with his fist, catching him in the arm playfully. Two-Bit turned with a grin.

"You want to go, Randle?"

"I ain't had a fight in a while." Steve grinned, eyes glinting.

Darry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like that's a real fight. All you ever do is roll around and break stuff." He went into the kitchen after his brothers.

Two-Bit grinned between them, trying to decide who he wanted to argue with. Finally settling on Steve, he said, "You ain't worth my time."

Steve leaned back. "You're just scared."

"Scared?" Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow. "I don't get scared." He turned and squeezed his way into the kitchen as Pony was trying to get out of it.

Ponyboy's milk nearly splashed out of the cup as he shoved his way past Two-Bit. "We need a bigger kitchen, Dare."

"Oh, well let me wave my magic wand," Darry said, sarcasm oozing from his voice.

Sodapop laughed loudly and joyfully as he followed his younger brother. He tossed Two-Bit an accusing look as he, being a lot more careless than Ponyboy anyway, also nearly spilled his milk. "If I had spilled this," he said as he headed to the couch, "it would have been your fault."

Two-Bit scoffed. "Yeah, all right. Just because you're a clumsy oaf."

"Who you calling a clumsy oaf?"

"You. I call it like I see it."

"Oh, yeah," snorted Soda. "Right."

"You're both clumsy oafs," muttered Ponyboy, a smile slipping onto his face as he moved to one of the chairs in the living room. Both Two-Bit and Soda tried to look insulted but once they accidentally made eye contact they both burst into laughter.

The night passed that same way, with a lot of laughter and jokes and feigned insult. Finally, Two-Bit resigned to the fact that it was time to go home. He found that he was dreading it more than he expected though. He didn't have much hope for a nice evening with Lucy. He didn't count on her to be there with him and he wasn't ready to be on his own again. But he said goodnight to the gang, got in his car, and went home. Sure enough, no one was in the house. Two-Bit stood alone in the living room and looked around the dark room. He kicked off his shoes, not bothering to set them by the door, instead leaving them in the middle of the floor. Slowly, he made his way to the kitchen and flicked on the light.

He didn't know what he was looking for, just that there was something he needed here. His gray eyes scanned the room until they landed on a cupboard that was not often put into use. As he crossed the kitchen, he paid attention to every step. He barely even registered what he was doing as he pulled it open. The bottles were in there, as he knew they would be. He'd never asked his mother why they kept so many. She didn't drink but their father had. Maybe they were left from him. They were certainly old enough. Two-Bit grabbed one of the bottles and opened it before bringing it to his lips. He relished the taste of the liquor and pulled a couple of the other bottles out of the cupboard as well.

Sometime after the cupboard was just about empty, the door opened and shut with a bang. Two-Bit looked up from his spot on the kitchen floor as the light in the living room was turned on.

"Two-Bit?" Lucy's voice called out. He didn't respond. Her form appeared in the doorway. She froze where she was, her eyes surveying the scene of empty bottles scattered on the floor. "You… You…" Even from those two words, he could tell her voice was uneven. "You're drunk."

He found he really didn't like the accusing tone in her voice. "So? I'm nineteen years old," he slurred.

Her brown eyes hardened. "Oh, yeah, that's a good reason to do it." Her eyes shot to the cupboard then went back to him. "Keith, I can't believe you."

"Oh, you want to play that game?" Two-Bit tossed the bottle in his hand to the side.

"Hey!" She pointed at him angrily. "I have never gotten drunk."

"Why don't I believe you?" Two-Bit pulled himself to his feet and swayed dangerously for a moment before finding his balance.

"Because you're looking for anyone to blame but yourself! First the incident with Buck's and now this!"

"Get the hell off that high horse," Two-Bit snarled. "I barely had anything to drink at Buck's!"

"I don't care! You had a drink, maybe more than that! And then you drove! You _drove_ Keith! Your mother died in a car accident because of a drunk driver and you got in the car and you _drove_!" Her voice shook with emotion. "Our mother is dead! She's dead! And it's because of this!" She picked up a bottle and threw it into the trashcan. He could hear it shatter as it hit the bottom. "And here you are! Going out and drinking! Staying here and drinking!"

"At least I'm home!"

"It doesn't matter!" Her voice broke. "Do you think it'll stop there? I'm not stupid! I know where you used to go all the time! I can't lose you too! But you seem to be determined to-"

"Whoa! You're the one who's never around!" He stared at her. "You're the one who couldn't stand to be around me even on my birthday!"

"I was-" She cut herself off. "It doesn't even matter. But I wasn't avoiding you. Not that you care."

"That's not fair!"

"Neither is this!" She picked up another bottle, shaking it at him. Or maybe that was just her hand shaking that badly. "This isn't fair to me or to you!" She hurled it into the trashcan. "I thought you had more sense!" she fixed him with such a hurt and disapproving look that Two-Bit hesitated. He didn't know what to say to that.

She shook her head. "I'll see you in the morning." Then she turned and stalked out of sight. Two-Bit swore and leaned back against the sink, closing his eyes tightly. This was one problem that he wasn't going to be able to drink away.


	11. The Truth

**A/N: Wow, I'm so sorry for the late update. Life has been truly insane and still is, although it's calming down. My dog's been sick but he's on the mend so things are going to start getting more regular!**

**Chapter 11**

**"The Truth"**

**June, 1968**

The next morning, Two-Bit's head was pounding. Groaning, he rolled out of bed and started down the hall. He'd almost forgotten what a hang over was like. He sure wasn't enjoying it. He rubbed his face with his hand, wishing his eyes would stop burning. His throat felt itchy and dry and he was dying for some water. But at the same time he was wishing that he had just stayed in bed.

A cabinet in the kitchen slammed shut and Two-Bit groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and leaning against the wall. "Good morning sunshine!" Lucy chimed loudly form the kitchen.

He groaned louder. "Please, please don't yell."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have a hangover?" she asked sweetly, too sweetly. She was doing this on purpose. He should have known the moment he heard the cabinet slam shut.

He gave her a dirty look as she walked to the dining room with a bowl of cereal. She put it down with too much force, causing the spoon to clatter against the bowl, then loudly pulled the chair out and sat down with a thud. He closed his eyes. "I am begging you to not do that anymore."

"I'm sorry, not do what?"

He groaned again. "Fine. Let me try asking again more plainly." He cleared his throat then said, "Stop torturing me, you pain in the ass. I know you're mad at me but I'm going to ask you somewhat nicely to_ stop_." He moved into the kitchen and got a glass of water. He took a long drink then sighed to himself. He forgot to get the medicine from the cabinet.

Two-Bit pushed himself away from the counter, wondering if he could even make it to the bathroom but knowing if he didn't try his head would explode. "Here." Lucy was suddenly in front of him, holding out a couple of pills. "I already got them for you. I figured you'd want extra so I put a couple in there." She put them in his hand then went back to the table. "This doesn't mean I'm not mad at you still."

He took a swig of water then downed the pills gratefully. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She got up. "I'm going to go meet some friends in a bit. Do you need anything while I'm out? I could stop at the store."

"No, that's fine."

She watched him for a minute. "You don't have work today do you?"

"No. I told you that yesterday."

"Yes, but I wasn't sure you even understood the question. You drank everything we had in the house and then some." She shouldered past him and rinsed her bowl out in the sink.

Two-Bit sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I just got a bit depressed."

"I know." She looked at him. "I'm sorry I wasn't here yesterday. I was… Never mind." She walked back out of the kitchen.

"Where were you?" he asked.

Lucy shrugged. "Out."

"Doing what? Look, if you're going to avoid me on my birthday I think I deserve some sort of explanation."

"Just pay attention today and I'm sure you'll figure it out," she said under her breath.

He sighed. "I'm not going to push it. An argument is the last thing I need this morning."

She gave him a small grin. "Maybe next time you won't drink so much."

"Whisper, will you?" He rubbed his forehead with his forefinger and thumb. "Ah, son of a bitch…"

Lucy chuckled and shook her head. "I'll see you this afternoon, okay?"

"Mmm, mmhmm," he mumbled, sitting down in a chair. He felt like he was going to topple over if he stayed standing.

"Go back to bed Keith. You hear me? Get some rest."

"Mm'kay." He took another drink of water.

"Don't drink too much water there. You're going to be sick if you do."

He waved her off. She laughed lightly and walked out, shutting the door as quietly as she could.

Two-Bit managed to get himself back to bed and fell asleep fairly quickly.

He didn't wake up again until around noon. By that time, he felt better thankfully. He still wanted to drink a gallon of water and he had a light headache but he felt like he could both function and enjoy his day off. But it still took him a half an hour to get dressed. And then it took him another half an hour before he felt like leaving the house.

Finally, though, he was in his car. But where to go? He rolled his eyes at himself. Where did he ever go? Work, the DX, and the Curtis'. He started the car and it went to life on the first try. Well, that was a nice change.

It was then that he noticed that something was definitely off. He looked over and noticed it finally. His car was clean. There was no junk on the floorboards. There was no mess to be seen. Then he spotted a note sitting on the dashboard. He grabbed it and read it over quickly, despite the horrible handwriting.

"Happy birthday, big brother. Don't mess it up again huh?"

Short, simple, and to the point. So she had been working on his car last night. How long had she been outside while he was inside drinking? He sighed to himself, feeling guilty over assuming that she forgot or didn't care. He tossed the note on the floorboards then grinned, shook his head, and picked it up, putting it in his pocket instead.

He was almost to the Curtis' when he changed directions and headed for the DX instead. Once there, he slid it into park, got out, and walked inside. "Hey, Steve, Soda."

Soda looked up from the counter. "Hey, man. What's up?"

"I want to talk to you and Steve."

"Sure. Steve!"

Steve bounded in, wiping his greasy hands on his jeans. "Yeah?" Soda nodded at Two-Bit.

"Did you guys look at my car? It's running a lot better."

Both of them gave him strange looks. "We wouldn't look at it before talking to you," Soda said slowly. "Last time I looked at it was when I fixed the radio."

"And I did the power steering," Steve added. He crossed his arms. "Maybe it's just a good day for the car, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe." Two-Bit shrugged.

"How was your night?" Soda asked. "Was Lucy home?"

Two-Bit shook his head. "No. Actually… She and I sort of got in a fight last night."

"You're kidding," Steve groaned. "How did that even happen?" He explained the whole thing, not much liking the looks they were both giving him.

Soda sighed. "Can't really blame her for being upset with you."

"Sure, but _that_ upset?"

Soda shook his head. "Dude, she was real upset the night you went to Buck's. She's scared that-" Steve elbowed him hard in the ribs and Two-Bit stared at him.

"How do you know about that?" he asked. "I never told you I went to Buck's. I didn't tell anyone about that."

Steve gave Soda a hard look. "Good going."

Soda groaned. "Two-Bit, don't get mad, okay?"

"How did you know that?"

The boys glanced at each other and Soda said, "Okay. Listen. That night she came by the DX. She was just walking past but Steve saw her and called her over, thinking we could help smooth things over or something."

"And she told you everything, did she?" Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow.

"After a lot of prodding," Steve said slowly. "Yeah. Not just about that night." He glanced at Soda, both of them looking uncomfortable.

"Will you get on with it?" Two-Bit snapped, unable to believe this. They'd talked to her, actually talked to her, and hadn't told him. He crossed his arms, waiting for them to explain.

Soda sighed. "Man, she don't have any friends except us. Steve and me took her under our wing after that night but before that she made up her friends."

Two-Bit stared at him. "Bullshit."

"It's true," Steve snapped. "Think about it. You never met her friends. Neither did your mom. No one has. We just took her word that they existed. When she went out to be with them she was alone, Two-Bit. She hung out at Sal's Diner or at a park or the lot. Even now she spends a lot of time alone."

"Why would she do that?"

Steve shrugged. "She said she didn't want any pity. She didn't want you spending time with her because you felt bad. She just didn't want anyone to know that she didn't fit in."

"A lot of the greaser girls didn't like the fact that she stayed out of trouble and of course the Socs wanted nothing to do with her. She just never really belonged. Tammy was seriously her only friend," Soda added.

Two-Bit looked between them. "This isn't happening," he muttered. "She got a smart mouth all of a sudden. So what? She just got that for fun?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "No, man. She didn't want you getting close enough to find out."

"More than that," Soda said softly. "She was in a real bad place, Two-Bit. My guess is she forgot how to talk to anyone about it. She was used to being alone."

"I can't believe this. Why the hell didn't you two tell me about this?"

"She begged us not to," Soda said. "Made us promise. It was the only way she'd talk to us. We figured if it was real important, like she was in trouble or something, we'd break that promise but otherwise…"

"Besides," Steve cut in. "You have to admit, she's been at least a little easier since she started spending time around here."

Two-Bit thought that over reluctantly. That was true. But he didn't want to admit it. "You two have to be kidding."

"Look at it this way," Soda said evenly. "You have two friends now who she's talked to. Don't you think we could help sometimes when you fight?"

"You shouldn't understand her better than I do!"

"We're her friends," Steve said. "Not her brother. There's a difference, Two-Bit."

Two-Bit groaned loudly. "I gotta talk to her."

Soda nodded. "It's a good idea."

"She should be getting home soon. But if she comes here will you tell her I need to talk to her?"

"Sure thing," Steve replied.

"Yeah. Hey, sorry man," Soda said softly.

Steve shook his head. "I'm not. She needed friends."

Two-Bit looked between them and sighed. "Thanks for finally telling me. See you two later." He walked out and went to the car, shaking his head. He thought it over the whole drive home. His friendly, people-person sister had gone a whole year without friends? How had he not known that?

He pulled up and went inside. Honestly he felt like a bad brother for not seeing it. But how could he have possibly known that she had made up her friends? She acted like she had some. She acted like she hung around a bad crowd. He had no idea. Even when he figured out she'd been bullied, he never would have guessed that she had no friends.

He wasn't home more than a half an hour before she came home. "Hey, Two-Bit." She looked up. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, thanks…" He took a deep breath. "Soda and Steve huh?"

She stared at him. "What?"

"Your friends. I talked to them today."

Lucy's eyes widened. "I… I don't…"

"Don't say you don't know what I'm talking about." He stood up. "You've been alone for the past year? You should have told me."

"You would have made me hang out with you and your friends."

"You ended up hanging around two of them anyway!"

"Yes but not because you asked them to!" Lucy shook her head. "You can't fix everything for me! I have to know I can make it by myself. And this year wasn't pleasant but I can do it! I can handle bullies and loneliness. I know that now."

"You've known that for a while! You should have talked to me! Instead of putting me through hell!"

"I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"What did you think you were doing?" Two-Bit hadn't even realized his voice had raised until now. He hadn't meant to get angry with her. But it was hard not to. If he had known things would have been so much easier… "Snapping at me all the time, rolling your eyes, avoiding me, running out on me, never making plans with me, fighting with me-"

"I forgot how to be a sister! Or a friend! I've been learning again! But you know what? I wouldn't have! I didn't want to talk to them and even after that I wasn't planning on sticking around and spending time with them. I was going back to my own ways and hoping they didn't rat me out. But after that Steve looked for me at school. You know why?"

"Why?" he said haughtily.

"Because they thought that if they could help me it would make it easier on you. All of this was for you! So if you're going to be mad, be mad at me. But don't get mad at them. They did it for you. If they told you, I wouldn't have trusted them and I would have continued to be a defensive bitch! So relax! Okay?!" She closed her eyes then looked at him and they were actually filled with tears. "I'm sorry. I should have told you. But I wanted to know I could make friends on my own. Without aid from my big brother. I had to know that I wasn't a complete lost cause. That people could like me. Of course that turned out not to work for me anyway."

"It worked. When I left, Steve said he wasn't sorry. You needed a friend." He looked at the floor. "They're not just spending time with you to make it easier on me. You found friends." _Just like I knew you would_, he thought to himself. There was a reason he was always trying to get her to the Curtis'. He knew she'd find friends there. He knew she'd fit in. Turns out, she had all by herself. If this was what he wanted all along, why did it bug him so much?

"Two-Bit, I'm sorry. I know I've been difficult. I know it would have been easier if I had let you in. I know that. But I didn't want you to be disappointed."

He stared at her. "What? Disappointed?"

"Yes! You never seemed to have trouble making friends and you were so friendly to everyone and funny and…" Her voice faltered. "I see how people are with you at school. And I wanted you to think I could be that way too…"

"Lucy, I wouldn't be disappointed in you for not being around decent human beings in high school. It's high school, Luce. You're my baby sister. The only thing that disappointed me was you avoiding me and thinking that you were hanging around with a bad group of kids. That's it."

"I've made a mess of things, haven't I?" Her voice sounded meek, unsteady, and small. It was obvious, for once, that she didn't know what to do next. She was as lost as he was.

"It's nothing we can't clean up together." He crossed the room and wrapped his little sister in a hug. "Promise me that we'll start tackling things together okay? If you have a problem with something, tell me. If you want to talk, tell me."

"I promise."

"One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Will you just start going to the damn Curtis' with me?"

She laughed lightly. "Yeah, okay."

He rolled his eyes with a playful smile. "Damn, that was harder than it should have been." He hugged her for several minutes until she pulled away.

"Hang on. I have your birthday present."

"Wasn't that the car repairs?"

"No. This is what I was doing out of the house all day. I got Sal's wife to help me."

"Sal like diner Sal?"

"Yeah." She went down the hall and to her room.

"Hey, so is this where your car skills came from?"

"Hanging around the DX? Yeah." She came back with a wide book in her arms. She held it out. "Take it."

Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow at her and took it from her hands. He opened it and stared. It was a scrapbook. That was apparent from the first page. It had their parents wedding picture then their mom holding Two-Bit as an infant and another picture of her holding baby Lucy. Then, the last picture on the page was of Two-bit and baby Lucy. It was her first laugh, the one Two-Bit had coaxed from her.

"That one's my favorite," she said quietly, eyes also on that picture. He looked up at her, throat dry. For once in his life he was completely lost for words. He had no clue what to say to her. But thankfully she didn't expect anything.

She pulled him onto the couch and they continued to go through the scrapbook together, both of them smiling and laughing at certain pictures and swallowing back deeper emotions at others, like pictures of their mother. Near the end, Two-Bit turned the page and started in surprise. Instead of a picture, it had a paper he'd written that he'd received an A on. It was the one that Lucy had found on the floor of his car the day their mom died. He looked at her.

"I took it when I cleaned your car," Lucy said quietly. "I thought…. Well, I thought it deserved more than to be on the floor. I like her comment… That as usual she was giving you an A and that it was some of your best so far… Did Mom get to see any of them?"

Two-Bit shook his head.

"She should have… She would have been proud." She gave him a small smile and Two-Bit finally looked back at the paper. With a breath, he turned the page then choked on a laugh. It was a picture his mom took last year. Lucy had decided she didn't need to go to school because she was going to never get out of bed. He had carried her down from her room over his shoulder. She had, of course, pounded on his back, laughing and yelling for him to put her down. When their mom lifted the camera, Lucy had screamed loudly and Two-Bit had been laughing so hard he had been afraid he was going to drop her. The next page was blank. He looked at his little sister, smiling.

"Thank you."

"Happy birthday." She hugged him again.

Yeah, Two-Bit thought to himself as he pulled her closer. They were going to be just fine.


End file.
